Swastikas Found Drawn On Desks At LI High School: Superintendent

SHOREHAM-WADING RIVER, NY — Swastikas were found drawn on three desks at Shoreham-Wading River High School recently, officials said.

In a letter to the Shoreham-Wading River Central School District community, Superintendent of Schools Gerard W. Poole said last month, he had shared the "disappointing news of hate speech" at the middle school.

"I am saddened to inform you of yet another hateful act, this time at the high school, where it was brought to our attention that swastikas were found on three separate desks," he wrote.

The district has contacted the Suffolk County Police Department and will fully cooperate in their investigation, Pool said.

Suffolk County police told Patch that they are investigating the incident.

The individual or individuals responsible for defacing school property with "such a hateful image" will be held accountable and will be disciplined in accordance with the district's code of conduct, Poole said.

"This is totally unacceptable behavior that causes pain and sadness to individuals and goes against the district's efforts in trying to provide and maintain a positive learning environment where everyone can feel accepted, safe and respected," Poole said.

The SWR district continues to educate students about the importance of social-emotional learning and tries to cultivate a sense of unity and inclusion in our school community with different age-appropriate lessons at each of our buildings, the superintendent said.

"Building community and inclusivity is an ongoing goal, and it is important that we work together to successfully achieve this goal," Poole said to parents. "I ask for your continued support as partners in education to take this opportunity to talk to your child about this incident and remind them that this type of behavior it extremely hurtful to others and will not be tolerated. "