The College Fix has identified 21 cases in which campus hate crimes turned out to be hoaxes or at least misleading in some way. Here's a small sample:

1. Police charge ‘black feminist theory’ PhD with theft for fundraising on false brick attack

Police accused Roda Osman, a University of Texas-Austin graduate student, of theft after she raised $40,000 on the pretense she was the victim of assault. Rather, video shows her taking the first swing during an argument. She disputes the criminal charges...

3. Athletic departments at two New York high schools can’t identify any evidence players were subjected to racial slurs

An East Ramapo High School women’s basketball player alleged there were racial taunts, including “monkey” sounds made during a game in early 2024. However, neither high school could confirm the allegations, and a parent present at the game challenged the claims...

5. Missouri noose is not ‘racially motivated’ school district says

A “kid in crisis” left the noose. “After extensive conversations and investigation, we do not believe this to be a racially-motivated incident,” the Francis Howell School school district said. A black parent had jumped to the conclusion that the noose was racially motivated while the local NAACP connected it to conservative school board members pushing for a right-leaning agenda.

There are many more including a settlement in a case filed against the University of Virginia:

Morgan Bettinger, Class of 2021 College alumna, settled a lawsuit against the University after being sanctioned by the University Judiciary Committee for a 2020 comment concerning Black Lives Matter protestors blocking traffic in downtown Charlottesville...

The incident for which the University expelled Bettinger occurred when Bettinger was driving in downtown Charlottesville July 17, 2020, when she was stopped by a dump truck blocking the road. Bettinger exited her car to ask the truck driver what was going on, to which the driver responded that he was protecting Black Women Matter protestors from oncoming traffic. 

According to Bettinger, she jokingly said to the driver “It’s a good thing you’re here, because otherwise these people would have been speed bumps.” Zyahna Bryant, Charlottesville-area activist and Class of 2023 alumna, was part of the protesting group. She claimed she heard Bettinger say a different statement — that the protestors “would make good speed bumps.” She then posted Bettinger's alleged statements on Twitter, and the post quickly went viral.

The school put Bettinger on trial and convicted her, putting a permanent demerit on her record but later "the U.Va. Office for Equal Opportunity and Civil Rights later found Bettinger not guilty of the charges." The activist who ran the social media campaign against Bettinger was later hired by Dove as a brand ambassador.

Just over a week ago, an alleged hate crime at Rhodes College in Tennessee was found to be a hoax.

A Tennessee college revealed that racist messages found written on campus were fabricated by a student in an apparent attempt to make Donald Trump supporters look bad.

Rhodes College confirmed to Fox News Digital that a student had admitted to leaving the messages strewn about campus that were found over Thanksgiving break and were being investigated as a hate crime. Instead, it turned out to be yet another race hoax.

"Thanks to the tireless efforts of our Campus Safety officers and the Memphis Police Department, the investigation into the hate crime that occurred recently on our campus has ended with the identification of the perpetrator and the conclusion this incident was fabricated. This individual has admitted responsibility," the statement read.

Not all of the hate crime hoaxes making news in 2024 happened on campus. In November the US District Attorney for the District of Colorado announced indictments against three individuals involved in a hate hoax that happened in Colorado Springs in 2023:

The federal indictment follows a lengthy investigation by the FBI and Colorado Springs police into an incident on April 23, 2023, plus a series of actions after it.

On that day in April, the three people allegedly set a wooden cross on fire in front of a campaign sign for a Black mayoral candidate that was defaced with a racial slur. The slur was apparently written on the sign by the indicted individuals because the U.S. Attorney's Office wrote in their indictment that spray paint was found in the car of one of them.

The people involved then sent the media an anonymous email and tried to connect the cross burning to the white candidate in the race.

The authors also claimed that supporters of Wayne Williams, the Republican candidate in the mayoral race, carried out the burning of the cross, according to the indictment.

“How are we going to stop this and stop these people from spreading hate crimes throughout the community?” the email allegedly read. “It’s clear who’s sending this message and the people of this city need to know!!

Derrick Bernard, Jr. who seems to have masterminded this hoax was sentenced to life in prison for murder last month. He is also believed to have been in contact with Yemi Mobolade, the black candidate who is now the mayor of Colorado Springs. Supposedly they had a five minute phone conversation just a few days after the cross burning. But Mayor Mobolade is claiming ignorance. After conferring with his attorney he released a statement:

I fully and truthfully cooperated throughout this investigation. I had no knowledge, warning, or involvement in this crime. I did not lie to the FBI. I voluntarily provided all requested communication without a subpoena and I received, and will be releasing, a document from the Department of Justice that reads that I was ‘identified by law enforcement as a victim or potential victim during the investigation of the criminal case.’

Even if he didn't know, he probably benefitted from the hoax. 

This was also the year that the most famous hate hoaxer in America, Jussie Smollett had his case tossed out by the state supreme court.

Finally, I'll wrap up this list with an even older incident that led to charges this year. An Ohio woman named Angela Frase claimed to be the victim of a series of hate crimes including an explosion in her house. Investigators now believe she was responsible.

Community members raised thousands for the couple, who claimed they were victims of a series of hate crimes.

In one incident, Frase reported to police that a stuffed doll was left in her mailbox with a noose tied around its neck...

Investigators determined that Frase left the hotel she was staying at and drove to the home on Aug. 6, just about an hour before the house exploded.

The documents show that the Ohio State Fire Marshall’s Office found racist graffiti and a swastika symbol painted on the garage of the home.

After the explosion, Frase was interviewed by the local media and blamed the alleged crime on President Trump.

There hasn't been a conviction in this case yet so we'll have to wait and see how it turns out. In any case, as the College Fix said in its story, it seems clear that "the demand for racism continues to exceed the supply."