For the second time this year,

K. Kyriell Muhammad, a tutor in religion, came home to find homophobic graffiti scrawled across his Mather House door on Wednesday afternoon.

Muhammad, who is also a Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian, Transgender and Supporters Association (BGLTSA) adviser, was the victim of the first homophobic act since the House publicly endorsed a pledge supporting non-discrimination in October.

"I find it profoundly disturbing," said Mather House Co-Master Sandra A. Naddaff '75. "We had hoped we had seen the last of these incidents."

House administrators registered a formal complaint with the Harvard University Police Department (HUPD) in addition to an official report detailing the various incidents this fall has been filed.

HUPD spokesperson Peggy A. McNamara said officers are investigating the graffiti, which she termed "a vandalism incident motivated by hate."

To her knowledge, no one has ever been arrested for a hate crime on

campus.

"We're following the processes for an investigation," she said. "We take

this very seriously."

University officials spoke out immediately against this latest act of homophobic graffiti.

"This latest incident is deplorable and the Police have been called in to

assist in the investigation," Dean of the College Harry R. Lewis '68 wrote in an e-mail message. "This behavior is unacceptable and most regrettable."

House Co-Masters Naddaff and Leigh G. Haffrey '73 circulated an e-mail on Thursday to all residents of Mather House condemning the incident and urging all students to report any information that they may have.

The vandalism comes in the wake of a rash of homophobic incidents in Mather House and in other Houses. In October, Winthrop House residents found homophobic graffiti on their doors, and posters advertising the Mather House Queer Film Series and the BGLTSA Safe Zone were torn down about the same time.