Students punished over Nazi symbol, profane drawings

Mason schools team up with Holocaust center after incident.

MASON — Some of the students involved with defacing a Mason school playground with a Nazi symbol and profanity have been identified and punished as the school district also announced a new partnership with a Jewish Holocaust education center.

Last week a tip on the playground graffiti came to school officials via an anti-bias hotline leading to a review of security camera footage of the Mason Intermediate School’s playground.

School officials also asked for the public’s help in providing more information about the incident, which included the drawing of a swastika with chalk on the playground surface.

Mason Police school resource officers assisted with the school system’s investigation.

“After examining district cameras, and as part of the school investigation process, we determined that a large group of Mason Middle School students were at the playground between 6 to 8 p.m. on Friday night (March 19),” wrote Tracey Carson, spokeswoman for the district.

“Not all students present were involved in inappropriate behavior. We also know that not just one student is responsible for the inappropriate behavior.”

School officials do not release specific information on punishments, including school suspensions or expulsions, of individual students due to their juvenile status and school records privacy restrictions.

“We have also established a partnership with the (Cincinnati-based) Holocaust and Humanity Center and are grateful for their support in providing educational opportunities for our students to learn more about how acts of bias have led to discrimination and acts of violence,” said Carson.

“We also continue to work with our Mason Middle School Inclusive Excellence and Culture teams to prepare learning opportunities for all students to learn and take ownership in our (Mason Schools) culture. Hate symbols are anathema to our (school) culture.”