'Hoax' Letter About Hate Incident Emailed To LHS Students, Superintendent Says

LEXINGTON, MA – A "hoax" email altering a letter regarding swastika graffiti found at Lexington High School was emailed to students over the weekend, according to Lexington Superintendent Mary Czajkowski. In a letter to the LHS community Monday, Czajkowski wrote that Lexington High School Principal Laura Lasa's May 12 email about the incident was "altered with changed facts and language, as well as an inappropriate drawing."

The "false communication" was emailed to students on May 14 and did not come from Lasa.

Lasa did email families May 12 to inform them of swastika graffiti found in one of the men's restrooms on campus. The incident is under investigation by the Lexington Police Department.

"I want to take this opportunity to reinforce the high school’s uncompromising commitment to making the

school building and the school day a welcoming place for all students, staff, and families," Lasa wrote in her letter. "A continued emphasis on caring and inclusion will continue to be a part of our daily practice and we will not tolerate hurtful language, prejudice, or discrimination."

But two days later, the second email was disseminated to about 1,200 LHS students and members of the community, Czajkowski told the Lexington Minuteman. Both Lasa and Czajkowski learned of the false letter on Monday.

Czajkowski wrote that she was "deeply saddened" that someone would misrepresent Lasa's message about the hate crime. School officials are working with the Lexington Police Department to investigate the hoax.

Image via Shutterstock