Hate Graffiti Found In Westfield School Again

WESTFIELD, NJ - Police and school officials are investigating the source of hate-laden graffiti at Edison Intermediate School according to an email to parents from Superintendent Margaret Dolan.

According to Dolan, one person was responsible for the latest act of vandalism in the school district. Last month, a swastika was etched in the bathroom of Franklin Elementary School.

“We are saddened and angry that one individual in our community has chosen hate,” Dolan said. “That student chose to deface school property and attack various groups of people with graffiti. We condemn and reject that hatred. And, we recommit ourselves to work with our next generation, to reach all of our students and to make sure they continue this work for decades to come."

What the graffiti contained and additional details were not provided by the district or Westfield Police. Neither returned messages for comment.

In Dolan's email she expressed appreciation for the support the district received from the Westfield Police Department and asked that the community understand that the information regarding students and the investigation is confidential.

Westfield is not the only school district in Union County dealing with disturbing graffiti. Last month, racist and anti-Semitic graffiti was found outside of Scotch Plans-Fanwood High School. In Summit, swastikas were found on a bathroom hall in Lawton C. Johnson Middle School immediately before the extended Thanksgiving weekend and yesterday, additional "offensive drawings" were also found.

The district dealt with a hate symbol on the first floor bathroom in Franklin Elementary School in February 2017 according to a report from TAP.

At that time, Doug Sagal, head rabbi of Temple Emanu-El in Westfield told TAP that there has been a rise in anti-Semitism the likes of which the country hasn't seen since the 1930s.

"I believe very strongly that we as a community need to send a clear and unambiguous message that hatred and bigotry of any kind will not be tolerated in the Westfield community," Sagal said in the report.

Dolan asked for help to make sure that these incidents did not continue.

"We ask members of the community to speak with their children so that this is the last incident,” she said.

(Photo courtesy of Google Earth)

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