Another antisemitic incident has occurred at a Toronto area school, the latest in a spree of anti-Jewish behavior targeting Jewish students and teachers that has taken place in the last two months.
Toronto Interim Police Chief James Ramer said that police are investigating antisemitic graffiti found at Birchmount Park Collegiate Institute high school in Scarborough on Thursday.
"This hateful act of vandalism is very similar to recent incidents that occurred last week at other schools and that police are currently investigating," TDSB spokesperson Ryan Bird said in a statement, according to CP24.
"While there is currently no indication that students are responsible for these incidents, the TDSB has been taking a number of steps to address antisemitism and hate including the recently released Combatting Hate and Racism Student Learning Strategy and additional professional learning – both of which will include specific lessons on antisemitism."
Interim Toronto police Chief James Ramer tweeted that the Hate Crimes Unit is fully engaged in the investigation.
"Toronto police have been steadfast in our commitment to pursue these cases with several arrests this week in hate-motivated cases," Ramer said.
Toronto police are already investigating multiple antisemitic incidents at Toronto schools.
In early March, similar antisemitic graffiti was found outside three schools in different areas of the city.
The incidents were being treated as “hate-motivated” and were investigated by the Toronto police’s Hate Crime Unit.
Police later released a security video image of a suspect thought to be connected to one of the incidents.
At the beginning of February, students performed a Nazi salute and depicted the swastika in front of students at the Charles H. Best Middle School, located in the Bathurst Manor neighborhood of North York, which has a significant Jewish population.
A week later, students at the Valley Park Middle School performed a Nazi salute in front of a Jewish teacher.
A similar incident occurred last week, when students at Pleasant Public School in North York performed the Hitler salute in class, this time targeting a Jewish teacher in a Grade 6 classroom.
The multiple incidents of antisemitism at Toronto schools has led to the Toronto District School Board increasing security during after school hours.