Swastika Found At Melrose School: 'They Have No Idea The Hate Behind That Symbol'

MELROSE, MA — Police and religious leaders condemned the discovery of swastika found Monday etched into the playground at the Roosevelt Elementary School.

Police believe the suspect may be a child, perhaps one who has been learning about the symbol in school recently. "They have no idea the hate behind that symbol," Chief Michael Lyle told Patch. Subscribe to Melrose Patch for more free local news and real-time alerts.

Police have contacted the Anti-Defamation League of Boston.

"Unfortunately, some things cannot be "unseen,"" Principal Mary Beth Maranto said in an email that made its way to parents Wednesday. "I ask that you talk as a family about discrimination and share ways to spread peace and kindness to all in our midst."

The Melrose Free Press, which first reported the story, said a letter was sent home to parents Tuesday. A number of parents told Patch they never received notification, and a worker at the front desk told Patch she had no information on the letter and that Maranto was unavailable to speak. Maranto said Wednesday the email had been sent Tuesday shortly before 12:30, but it appears the message was not successfully sent out.

The symbol on the playground apparatus was turned into a nondescript shape, and the playground company will be permanently removing it.

The symbol was etched into a Swiss cheese-looking contraption on the playground over the weekend, Lyle said. It has been transformed into a nondescript shape, Maranto said, and the playground company will permanently removed the shape.

"There's no place for a swastika in America," said Rabbi Arnie Fertig of the Temple Beth Shalom on East Foster Street. "It's a chilling symbol to use for many that have family who perished in the Holocaust."

There are no surveillance cameras focused on the playground area, "but there should be," Lyle said. The cameras at the school itself did not pick up anyone.

While relatively rare, these incidents are not completely foreign to Melrose. Fertig condemned the act, but was careful not to "blow up one incident" that isn't indicative of Melrose or its schools.

"The Melrose school system is well aware of issues of all kinds of diversity," he told Patch.

There have been several recent incidents of swastikas in nearby communities, including a rash of the in Reading. Read how that town is dealing with things here. Lyle said he reached out to the Reading chief of police on Tuesday.

The incidents come as Jewish New Year kicked off last week with Rosh Hashanah. Two more Jewish holidays, Yom Kippur and Sukkot, are upcoming.

Photo by Mike Carraggi