The District Attorney's Office has charged two college students with a civil rights violation in the egging of a gay student club booth at Cal Poly on Feb. 13.

While the act is not technically being called a hate crime, District Attorney spokeswoman Michelle Goula said crimes of that nature are cited from the same section of the state Penal Code. The charges were filed May 7.

One of the students -- 22-year-old William Bugenig -- expressed remorse for the incident when reached by phone Wednesday.

"I didn't mean any harm to anybody," said the Cal Poly agribussines student, who is set to graduate in June.

"Anyone that was there, I totally apologize for it. I know I was in the wrong."

Bugenig, who lives in Morro Bay, and Nicolas Taliaferro, 20, who lives in San Luis Obispo and attends Cuesta College, are charged with one count each of violating civil rights and damaging property.

The two are to be arraigned June 9. If convicted, they each face up to a year in jail, a $5,000 fine and 400 hours of community service for the misdemeanor charge.

According to court and police records, Bugenig and Taliaferro each threw two eggs at a Gays, Lesbians and Bisexuals United booth set up along the perimeter of Dexter Lawn.

Two eggs hit the booth -- and subsequently did more than $500 in damage -- while the other two landed near the booth, Cal Poly police said.

The men were standing behind a hedge about 150 feet away when they threw the eggs, according to police, and five women were sitting behind the booth eating lunch.

Phone calls from The Tribune to Taliaferro on Wednesday, and calls and e-mails to several GLBU members on Tuesday and Wednesday, went unanswered.

Bugenig told police he bought the eggs, along other groceries, earlier that day from the Campus Market, although not for the purpose of throwing them.

The booth was egged about 45 minutes after a march was held to celebrate Same-Sex Handholding Day. During the march, participants began and ended their walk along Inner Perimeter Road at Dexter Lawn.

During separate interviews with university police, both men expressed remorse and said they thought the group's booth was empty when they threw the eggs.

Bugenig and Taliaferro told police they disagreed with what the group stood for but did not wish to hurt any specific person.

"I viewed the booth to be located in a free speech area on campus," Bugenig said in a statement submitted to police, "and I guess you could say that this was my attempt to express my opinion, which obviously I went about in totally the wrong way."

Ardith Tregenza, director of judicial affairs at Cal Poly, spoke with Bugenig and said he accepted responsibility for the incident.

"I think seeing how the community responded really opened up his eyes to what he did," she said. "The university has held him responsible and accountable."