Swastikas, slurs found on Santaluces High walls
Vandalism is second such incident at a county school in week; no suspects yet.
LANTANA — Swastikas and r a c i a l s l u r s we r e f o u n d painted on the walls of Santaluces High School early Wednesday, the second incident involving racially offensive graffiti at a southern Palm Beach Count y high school in a week.
Tameka Robinson, the school’s principal, called parents Wednesday morning to inform them about the incident.
School officials are working with school police to review surveillance footage in an attempt to find out who painted the graffiti.
Last week, Park Vista High School in suburban Boynton Beach was targeted by vandals, authorities said.
Ya e l H e r s h f i e l d , t h e interim regional director for the Anti-Defamation League’s Florida region, called the recent incidents disturbing.
“The Ant i - Def a mati o n League is saddened by the appearance of hate symbols and slurs at Santaluces High School,” she said. “But we are grateful for the immediate and prompt response from the school principal and the school district.”
In Robinson’s call to parents, she stressed that those responsible for the graffiti, which was on the school’s exterior walls, will face crim- inal charges, as well as punishment from school authorities as outlined in the student code of conduct.
She is asking anyone with information about the vandalism to contact her immediately.
No one has been named a suspect in either the Santaluces or Park Vista incidents.
Hershfield noted similar incidents at other schools around the state, including one last February at Omni Middle School in Boca Raton. In general, there has been an increase in reports of anti-Se- mitic incidents nationwide and in Florida, she said.
A recent audit conducted by the organization showed that Palm Beach Count y had the highest number of reported incidents in 2016 with 42, followed by MiamiDade and Broward counties, with 26 each.
The audit included reports o f v a n d a l i s m, a s s a u l t s , harassment and threats.
In February, after a swastika was found drawn on a boys’ bathroom stall at Omni Middle School, the ADL worked with school officials to create a presentation to educate students about the impact of hate symbols.
“The Ant i - Def a mati o n League knows that the best way to combat hate speech ( i s ) wi t h more s p e e c h , ” Hershfield said. “We need to condemn it when we see it immediately. No only when it’s anti-Semitic, but any kind of hate.”