A high school in south Florida was vandalized some time last week with dozens of swastikas, racist messages and profanity.
Western High School in Davie, Florida, a Miami suburb, discovered the hate graffiti scrawled on the walls and in a bathroom, CBS4 reported.
While the graffiti was immediately removed, students were only informed of the incident this week.
The vandalism was discovered by the school’s custodians. It was removed and Davie police were contacted. An investigation was opened.
The Davie school district released a statement saying that they are working with police to identify the vandals who will face appropriate punishment.
“The school’s administration continues to work with Davie Police to identify the individuals responsible – who will face appropriate disciplinary consequences. Broward County Public Schools does not tolerate displays of bigotry and hate and is committed to educating students about the profound impact of bias.”
“Horrified students found their local high school defaced with numerous swastikas and racist language,” tweeted the StopAntisemitism watchdog organization who first posted about the incident on social media.
Davie police told 7News that they are going over security camera footage from the school and interviewing students who may be able to hep identify the culprits.
The school is also introducing new security measures, including having security guards patrol inside the bathroom.
According to ADL data, the number of antisemitic vandalism incidents reported in Florida in 2021 increased to 47 versus 30 in 2020 and 24 in 2019.