diff --git a/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/beans/Individual.java b/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/beans/Individual.java
index bf3e81071..8bd5bf425 100644
--- a/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/beans/Individual.java
+++ b/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/beans/Individual.java
@@ -61,6 +61,9 @@ public interface Individual extends ResourceBean, VitroTimeWindowedResource, Com
     
     List<VClass> getVClasses(boolean direct);
     void setVClasses(List<VClass> vClassList, boolean direct);
+    
+    /** Does the individual belong to this class? */
+    boolean isVClass(String uri);
 
     void setObjectPropertyStatements(List<ObjectPropertyStatement> list);
     List<ObjectPropertyStatement> getObjectPropertyStatements();
diff --git a/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/beans/IndividualImpl.java b/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/beans/IndividualImpl.java
index e5aa93d79..be6864289 100755
--- a/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/beans/IndividualImpl.java
+++ b/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/beans/IndividualImpl.java
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@ package edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.beans;
 import org.json.JSONException;
 import org.json.JSONObject;
 
+import edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.dao.VitroVocabulary;
+
 import java.lang.reflect.Method;
 import java.sql.Timestamp;
 import java.text.Collator;
@@ -180,7 +182,20 @@ public class IndividualImpl extends BaseResourceBean implements Individual, Comp
     	return allVClasses;
     }
     
-    public List<VClass> getVClasses(boolean direct) {
+    @Override
+	public boolean isVClass(String uri) {
+    	if (uri == null) {
+    		return false;
+    	}
+		for (VClass vClass : getVClasses()) {
+			if (uri.equals(vClass.getURI())) {
+				return true;
+			}
+		}
+		return false;
+	}
+
+	public List<VClass> getVClasses(boolean direct) {
     	if (direct) {
     		return directVClasses;
     	} else {
diff --git a/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/dao/filtering/IndividualFiltering.java b/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/dao/filtering/IndividualFiltering.java
index 257a77d7a..48f688e31 100644
--- a/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/dao/filtering/IndividualFiltering.java
+++ b/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/dao/filtering/IndividualFiltering.java
@@ -509,7 +509,6 @@ public class IndividualFiltering implements Individual {
         return _innerIndividual.getKeywordObjects();
     }
 
-
     public List<VClass> getVClasses() {
         return _innerIndividual.getVClasses();
     }
@@ -518,7 +517,13 @@ public class IndividualFiltering implements Individual {
         return _innerIndividual.getVClasses(direct);
     }
 
-    public void setDataPropertyMap(Map<String, DataProperty> propertyMap) {
+    @Override
+	public boolean isVClass(String uri) {
+    	return _innerIndividual.isVClass(uri);
+	}
+
+
+	public void setDataPropertyMap(Map<String, DataProperty> propertyMap) {
         _innerIndividual.setDataPropertyMap(propertyMap);
     }