Racist, Anti-Semitic Graffiti Found in Ottoson Main Lobby Bathroom

UPDATED: 4:55 p.m. Tuesday

ARLINGTON, MA—Ottoson Middle School administrators are once again dealing with an incident of racist and anti-Semitic graffiti.

Principal Tim Ruggere alerted parents via email late Monday that school administrators have found racist and anti-Semitic graffiti once again in a main lobby bathroom at the school. Ruggere's notice to parents states that the bathroom was immediately closed and that Arlington police, the Anti-defamation League and the Human Rights Commission were immediately alerted.

"Our shared focus is to support all students at Ottoson Middle School and to provide a learning environment where students feel safe and nurtured," Ruggere wrote in the email.

Superintendent Kathleen Bodie released a statement Tuesday afternoon regarding the graffiti.

I am deeply saddened for the pain these incidents may have caused Ottoson students who feel victimized," Bodie wrote in an email to the Ottoson community."We have urged the faculty and staff at Ottoson to be mindful of providing additional support and care for students at this time."

Arlington police Captain Richard Flynn told Patch that police had responded to the school at approximately 3 p.m. for an initial response, and returned to the school Tuesday. While Flynn stated that Police had minimal involvement in the first incident, they were able to obtain further information regarding both incidents.

Flynn told Patch that police would be conducting a thorough investigation.

Ottoson administrators are dealing with the second instance of racist and anti-Semitic graffiti in school bathrooms in the past 30 days. Administrators discovered graffiti in a school bathroom on March 18.

Principal Ruggere was not immediately available for comment, check back with Patch for more information.