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Hate crimes

News
Westchester Teacher Turned Hero: Man Earns Medal For Saving Woman In Subway Attack Westchester Teacher Turned Hero: Man Earns Medal For Saving Woman In Subway Attack
Westchester Teacher Turned Hero: Man Earns Medal For Saving Woman In Subway Attack A Westchester art teacher has been awarded a prestigious medal for his heroic actions in saving a woman from a violent attack on a New York City subway.  The award, announced by the Carnegie Hero Fund Commission, honors 29-year-old Scarsdale High School teacher John Catania, who risked his life on Nov. 22, 2022, to intervene as a man attacked a 28-year-old woman with a bladed weapon on a subway train in New York City.  Catania rushed at the 6-foot-4 assailant after witnessing him slash the woman’s face and strike her again. His brave intervention gave the woman time to escape to a…

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by Ben Crnic
News
Woman Admits To Threatening NY Resident In Racially Charged Facebook Messages Woman Admits To Threatening NY Resident In Racially Charged Facebook Messages
Woman Admits To Threatening NY Resident In Racially Charged Facebook Messages A woman has pleaded guilty to sending racially motivated death threats to a man in  New York. Kristin Keeble, age 54, of Pageland, South Carolina, admitted to transmitting threats to injure another person across state lines, according to the US Attorney's Office of the Northern District of New York. Keeble sent four profanity-laced, racially derogatory audio messages through Facebook Messenger on Oct. 26, 2023  to a Greene County man who resides in the village of Catskill. In the messages, she threatened to kill the man, along with a woman he knew and the woman's children, claimi…

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by Joe Lombardi
News
Students Targeted With Racial Texts At School District In Hudson Valley Students Targeted With Racial Texts At School District In Hudson Valley
Students Targeted With Racial Texts At School District In Hudson Valley Officials are investigating after several Hudson Valley students were the targets of explicitly racist text messages that were also sent to Black and Brown students in several states since Election Day. The incidents occurred in Rockland County on Thursday, Nov. 7, at Nyack's middle and high schools. "While there are slight variations in the wording, these texts are horrific and explicitly racist, specifically threatening “to make students slaves, take them to plantations to pick cotton or that they will be deported to Africa,” said Nyack School District Intermin Superintende…

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by Kathy Reakes
Police & Fire
Israeli Flag Defaced At Hudson Valley Service Center, Police Investigating Israeli Flag Defaced At Hudson Valley Service Center, Police Investigating
Israeli Flag Defaced At Hudson Valley Service Center, Police Investigating For the second time in two weeks, an Israeli flag has been the target of vandals at a Hudson Valley service station. The incident occurred in Rockland County early Friday, May 24, at the Monsey Service Center on Main Street in Monsey. According to Lauren Pepper, the manager of the center and daughter of the owner, Joe Kurek, another flag was stolen on Friday, May 17. They quickly replaced the stolen flag with a new one that was defaced sometime in the overnight hours of Thursday, May 23, into Friday, May 24, said Lt. Chris Franklin of the Ramapo Police. Franklin said the flag was defaced …

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by Kathy Reakes
News
‘You're Racist': Video Shows Lawyer Harassing NY Mosque Members Over Israel-Hamas War ‘You're Racist': Video Shows Lawyer Harassing NY Mosque Members Over Israel-Hamas War
‘You're Racist': Video Shows Lawyer Harassing NY Mosque Members Over Israel-Hamas War A New York lawyer is facing criminal charges after he was allegedly caught on video harassing members of a mosque over the Israel-Hamas war. The Long Island incident happened at around 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 21 at the Melville Islamic Center, located on Old Neck Road. Suffolk County Police said Jordan Endler, age 46, entered the place of worship and made several statements regarding the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict. Video shared on X, formerly Twitter, shows Endler walking in circles around a staircase while repeatedly shouting, “Free the Israeli hostages now.” A woman filming the i…

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by Michael Mashburn
Politics
Longtime Westchester Resident Announces Run To Become County's First Black District Attorney Longtime Westchester Resident Announces Run To Become County's First Black District Attorney
Longtime Westchester Resident Announces Run To Become County's First Black District Attorney A Westchester native with years of experience in civil rights cases has announced his candidacy to become the county's first Black district attorney.  Mount Vernon native and attorney William O. Wagstaff III announced his candidacy for the Westchester County District Attorney's office on Monday, Nov. 20.  Wagstaff's candidacy announcement comes nearly a month after the county's current District Attorney, Miriam Rocah, announced she would not be seeking re-election in 2024.  Earlier Report - Westchester DA Rocah Won't Seek Re-Election: 'I Do Not Fit Mold Of Career Polit…

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by Ben Crnic
News
$75 Million Plan Aims To Ease Surge Of Hate, Bias Crimes In NY: Hochul $75 Million Plan Aims To Ease Surge Of Hate, Bias Crimes In NY: Hochul
$75 Million Plan Aims To Ease Surge Of Hate, Bias Crimes In NY: Hochul As a response to the rise in both anti-Semitic and Islamophobic crimes across New York State stemming from the Israel-Hamas conflict, Gov. Kathy Hochul unveiled a multi-million dollar plan to keep New Yorkers safe. Earlier report: 21-Year-Old Accused Of Threatening To Shoot, Stab, Rape Jewish Students On Campus At Cornell The announcement came on Tuesday, Oct. 31. Hochul, utilizing all available state resources, declared a multi-branched plan aimed at limiting the number of hate and bias crimes, which she says have risen since the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas. “Let me be clear: we cannot…

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by Sophie Grieser
News
Insurance Companies Barred From Canceling, Raising Rates On Hate Crime Victims Under New NY Law Insurance Companies Barred From Canceling, Raising Rates On Hate Crime Victims Under New NY Law
Insurance Companies Barred From Canceling, Raising Rates On Hate Crime Victims Under New NY Law Victims of hate crimes no longer have to fear retaliation from their insurance companies under a new law in New York. On Monday, Dec. 12, Gov. Kathy Hochul signed legislation that prohibits insurers in the state from canceling policies or raising premiums on the basis that a claim was filed for a loss resulting from a hate crime. The law also bars insurance companies from refusing to issue a policy or refusing to renew a policy solely on that same basis, Hochul’s office said. It applies to claims that are made against policies during the preceding five years where the individual has provi…

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by Michael Mashburn
Schools
Swastika Found Near Westchester High School Swastika Found Near Westchester High School
Swastika Found Near Westchester High School A community is on high alert after a swastika was found posted in the vicinity of a high school in Westchester County, officials announced. On Monday, Nov. 22, New Rochelle Schools Superintendent Jonathan Raymond issued a message to the community after the hateful imagery was found posted at a wi-fi hotspot that was in the area of the high school. “Our school district has a zero-tolerance policy for such acts of hate and bigotry, which are in direct opposition to the inclusive values of our school district and community,” he said. “We encourage dialogue, kindness, tolerance, and empathy –…

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by Zak Failla
News
Police Investigate Racist, Anti-Semitic Graffiti At Yale University Police Investigate Racist, Anti-Semitic Graffiti At Yale University
Police Investigate Racist, Anti-Semitic Graffiti At Yale University An investigation has been launched at Yale University after two separate instances of anti-Semitic and racially charged graffiti that were discovered at a construction site on campus. The Yale Police Department launched an investigation into anti-Semitic and racist graffiti that were reportedly spray-painted inside the construction site for Kline Biology Tower in New Haven County, which has been closed since work began at the site, according to Yale Police Chief Ronnell Higgins. Higgins said that on Monday, Sept. 20, members of the construction crew working in the area found the graffiti sp…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Newly Town-Installed Black Lives Matter Sign Uprooted From Ground In Westchester, Police Say Newly Town-Installed Black Lives Matter Sign Uprooted From Ground In Westchester, Police Say
Newly Town-Installed Black Lives Matter Sign Uprooted From Ground In Westchester, Police Say Police are investigating a potential bias or hate-related incident after a newly installed “Black Lives Matter” sign was uprooted in Westchester. Greenburgh Police Chief Chris McNerney issued an alert on Friday, May 14 advising about an investigation into a criminal mischief incident after a newly installed “BLM” sign was ripped out of the ground. McNerney said that overnight on Thursday, May 13, a sign that read “All Lives Can’t Matter Until Black Lives Matter” was uprooted from the ground hours after it was affixed to the “Welcome to Greenburgh” sign on Knollwood Road. The investigation…

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by Zak Failla
News
Asian-American Business Leaders Create New Initiative To Fight Racism, Discrimination Asian-American Business Leaders Create New Initiative To Fight Racism, Discrimination
Asian-American Business Leaders Create New Initiative To Fight Racism, Discrimination “...We are tired of being treated less than American…”  So begins an open letter in the Wednesday, March 31, 2021 edition of The Wall Street Journal signed by over 1,000 American-Asian business leaders. Some of the names (or at least their companies) you'll probably recognize: Jerry Yang, Eric Yuan, and Steve Chen, for instance, the co-founder of Yahoo, CEO and founder of Zoom, and co-founder of YouTube, respectively. But there are hundreds more who have made an impact in their fields and communities. In an email sent to supporters, David Lu, a managing partner at Hyphen Captial and one of…

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by Vira Mamchur Schwartz
News
Racist Statement Found Written On Roadway Near Northern Westchester High School Racist Statement Found Written On Roadway Near Northern Westchester High School
Racist Statement Found Written On Roadway Near Northern Westchester High School A racist statement was found sprawled on the ground near a Northern Westchester high school, police said. The Ossining Police Department is investigating after the words “(Racist slur removed) Lives Don’t Matter” were written on the roadway on Emwilton Place, which appears directed at a particular home, but is also directly across from Ossining High School. Police said that a witness described seeing a white man with a thin build who was wearing a blue hooded sweatshirt, jeans, and a mask holding chalk and possibly writing on the roadway early on Friday, Oct. 9. Detectives are currently i…

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by Zak Failla
News
Hateful Stickers Placed On Black Lives Matter Signs In Westchester Neighborhood Hateful Stickers Placed On Black Lives Matter Signs In Westchester Neighborhood
Hateful Stickers Placed On Black Lives Matter Signs In Westchester Neighborhood Racist stickers and signage posted in a Westchester neighborhood have caused concern for some in the community. In recent weeks, residents of the Rochelle Heights neighborhood in New Rochelle began putting up “Black Lives Matter” lawn signs that have subsequently been vandalized with hateful stickers. Dozens of white supremacist stickers were placed on both public and private signs throughout the tight-knit neighborhood, including some criticizing George Floyd, the man killed in Minneapolis by police in May that sparked nationwide protests and demonstrations. The stickers had messages tha…

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by Zak Failla
News
Car Photo Released, FBI Joins Police To Probe Yorktown Vandalism As Possible Hate Crimes Car Photo Released, FBI Joins Police To Probe Yorktown Vandalism As Possible Hate Crimes
Car Photo Released, FBI Joins Police To Probe Yorktown Vandalism As Possible Hate Crimes Local officials have teamed with the FBI following a series of acts of vandalism through the town Yorktown that may be classified as hate crimes because houses of worship were included. The incidents occurred in the early morning hours of Saturday, Jan. 4, on both private and town property, said Yorktown Supervisor Matt Slater and Police Chief Robert Noble. Officials said the damage included four shattered glass doors at the Yorktown Stage, a toppled menorah at Veterans’ Field and multiple windows were broken at the John C. Hart Memorial Library.  In addition, windows a…

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by Kathy Reakes
Police & Fire
String Of Vandalism Incidents Under Investigation In Northern Westchester String Of Vandalism Incidents Under Investigation In Northern Westchester
String Of Vandalism Incidents Under Investigation In Northern Westchester This story has been updated. Authorities in Yorktown were alerted to a string of vandalism incidents that occurred in both town and private property. Yorktown Supervisor Matt Slater and Police Chief Robert Noble released the following joint statement following the incidents early Saturday morning, Jan. 4: "Four glass doors were shattered at the Yorktown Stage, a menorah was toppled at Veterans’ Field and multiple windows were broken at the John C. Hart Memorial Library.  "In addition, windows at the First Presbyterian Church and the St. Patrick's Old Stone Church were also destroyed.…

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by Joe Lombardi
News
Monsey Stabbing Suspect Interviewed By Police For Earlier Attack Just Days Before Incident Monsey Stabbing Suspect Interviewed By Police For Earlier Attack Just Days Before Incident
Monsey Stabbing Suspect Interviewed By Police For Earlier Attack Just Days Before Incident Police detectives had interviewed the alleged Monsey machete attacker before the Hanukkah attack in connection with an earlier stabbing in the area. According to Ramapo Police Chief Brad Weidel, detectives worked for hours and hours to identify a vehicle caught on a grainy video in the area of the Howard Drive attack on Wednesday, Nov. 20, when a father of four was stabbed multiple times as he walked to worship.  In addition to showing the video to area body shops, it was also reviewed with the FBI, who most said it appeared to be a Honda Pilot, but no one could absolutely confirm the …

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by Kathy Reakes
News
Feds Charge Monsey Suspect With Hate Crimes As Family Cites History Of Mental Illness Feds Charge Monsey Suspect With Hate Crimes As Family Cites History Of Mental Illness
Feds Charge Monsey Suspect With Hate Crimes As Family Cites History Of Mental Illness Federal prosecutors have filed hate crimes charges against the man accused of allegedly stabbing five people at a Hasidic rabbi’s Monsey home during a Hanukkah celebration. The charges come after calls for action on hate crimes from state and federal officials, as well as the public and religious leaders. The criminal complaint, filed in the White Plains federal court, provides a glimpse into what may have motivated Grafton Thomas, 31, of Orange County, to carry out his bloody rampage on Saturday, Dec. 28. Thomas’s family said in a statement on Sunday, Dec. 29, that he had a long history o…

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by Kathy Reakes
Schools
Symbols Of Hate Found At High School In Northern Westchester Symbols Of Hate Found At High School In Northern Westchester
Symbols Of Hate Found At High School In Northern Westchester Symbols of hate were reportedly found on campus at a high school in Northern Westchester. The symbols, including a swastika and a racial slur, were found on grounds at Ossining High School, Town Supervisor Dana Levenberg said in a statement on Thursday, Oct. 31. Police are currently working with the school district to investigate the incident. “As a child of a Holocaust survivor, I know what these symbols represent--in my case the loss of my great grandfather who was herded like cattle to a concentration camp where he met his death, simply because of how he worshiped,” Levenberg said. “The…

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by Zak Failla
News
Swastikas Found At School In Westchester Swastikas Found At School In Westchester
Swastikas Found At School In Westchester More symbols of hate were reportedly found at a Westchester school when swastikas were discovered in Pelham. School officials stated that multiple swastikas were found by students at the Pelham Middle School, though it was not reported where on the campus they were found. The latest incident comes after a pair of swastikas were found in bathrooms at Scarsdale High School, prompting intervention from New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who called in the New York State Police Hate Crimes Task Force to investigate. It is unclear if State Police will also investigate the incident in Pelham. “In New…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
State Police Join Investigation Of Offensive Graffiti Discovered Twice At Scarsdale HS State Police Join Investigation Of Offensive Graffiti Discovered Twice At Scarsdale HS
State Police Join Investigation Of Offensive Graffiti Discovered Twice At Scarsdale HS New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is calling in the cavalry as local police continue the investigation of hate-filled graffiti at Scarsdale High School. Cuomo announced that the New York State Police Hate Crimes Task Force will join the investigation after symbols of hate were found carved and drawn inside bathrooms at the high school. A swastika was found carved into a toilet-paper dispenser on Thursday, Sept. 12, and offensive graffiti was found last week that included “hate speech against different groups of people,” Scarsdale High School Principal Kenneth Bonamo said. "I am disgusted by …

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by Zak Failla
Schools
Offensive Graffiti Discovered At Scarsdale HS For Second Time This Month Offensive Graffiti Discovered At Scarsdale HS For Second Time This Month
Offensive Graffiti Discovered At Scarsdale HS For Second Time This Month More offensive symbols were found in a bathroom at a Westchester high school, officials said. Students at Scarsdale High School found offensive graffiti in a bathroom that used hate speech to target multiple groups of people, school officials said. The latest incident comes after a swastika was found carved into a toilet-paper dispenser on Thursday, Sept. 12. High School Principal Kenneth Bonamo sent a note to parents outlining what the students reportedly found. “These words and images were not easily visible, though upon closer scrutiny they became apparent,” he said. “This speaks to the…

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by Zak Failla
Politics
State Bill Would Teach Students About Hateful Symbols State Bill Would Teach Students About Hateful Symbols
State Bill Would Teach Students About Hateful Symbols Middle and high school students in New York may soon be taught the meaning of hateful symbols such as the swastika and noose as part of new legislation that has been introduced by state lawmakers. With reports of hate crimes on the rise statewide, including dozens on Long Island and the Hudson Valley, lawmakers are seeking to improve student education on racist and anti-Semitic symbolism. In Nassau County, there have already been 44 reported incidents, more than double at this point last year. Last week, seven swastikas were found drawn on a pavilion at an Oyster Bay park, and nooses have …

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by Zak Failla
News
Swastikas Found Inside Textbook At Middle School In Westchester Swastikas Found Inside Textbook At Middle School In Westchester
Swastikas Found Inside Textbook At Middle School In Westchester Police in New Rochelle were called to a middle school in Westchester this week to investigate the latest incident involving swastikas. Officers from the New Rochelle Police Department responded to the school on Tuesday, April 9, when there was a report of swastikas drawn inside the back of a textbook. Last month, the school launched an investigation when the sign of hate was etched in a bathroom at Albert Leonard. Late last year, a four-inch swastika was found at the New Rochelle High School.  Police said that in the latest incident, a student reported to administrators finding the sw…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Swastika Found In Bathroom Of Middle School In Westchester Swastika Found In Bathroom Of Middle School In Westchester
Swastika Found In Bathroom Of Middle School In Westchester Educators are hoping to use a hateful gesture as a teaching lesson after a swastika was found etched in a middle school bathroom in Westchester. A middle school student in New Rochelle reported the swastika to school security on Thursday, March 14 though it was not clear when they were carved into the bathroom stall door. The incident is under investigation, police said. The latest incident comes approximately four months after a four-inch swastika was found at the New Rochelle High School, which prompted a police investigation. The swastika has since been removed. In response to the lates…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Third Teen Faces Hate Crime Charges For Anti-Semitic Graffiti Incident In Putnam Third Teen Faces Hate Crime Charges For Anti-Semitic Graffiti Incident In Putnam
Third Teen Faces Hate Crime Charges For Anti-Semitic Graffiti Incident In Putnam An 18-year-old Putnam resident is facing multiple charges, including two felonies, after a lengthy investigation into anti-Semitic graffiti discovered in a home that was under construction in Nelsonville. Louis Weber of Philipstown is the third teen arrested in connection with the incident. Deputy Christopher Tompkins responded to 1 Brave Scout Way in the Village of Nelsonville on a report of criminal mischief at about 8 a.m. on Halloween Day, Oct. 31, 2018. Upon arriving, Deputy Tompkins observed a house under construction where, among other things, several swastika symbols were spray pai…

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by Joe Lombardi
News
Swastika Found At High School Library In Northern Westchester Swastika Found At High School Library In Northern Westchester
Swastika Found At High School Library In Northern Westchester A swastika was discovered at a high school library in Northern Westchester. Officials in the Somers Central School District stated in an email that the swastika was found painted into a chair in the school’s library with a marker. The symbol of hate has since been removed by custodians. “We are deeply disappointed that anyone in our community would vandalize school property with such a despicable symbol of hatred and intolerance,” principal Mark Bayer and Superintendent Dr. Raymond Blanch wrote in an email. “As a school and district, we will not tolerate this behavior and our…

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by Zak Failla
News
Student Arrested After Nazi-Themed Posters Found At SUNY Purchase Student Arrested After Nazi-Themed Posters Found At SUNY Purchase
Student Arrested After Nazi-Themed Posters Found At SUNY Purchase Click here for an updated story: Teen ID'd By Police For Posting Nazi-Themed Posters Found At SUNY Purchase A student at SUNY Purchase has been arrested after spreading more than a dozen Nazi-themed posters on campus over the weekend. The student will be facing a charge of aggravated harassment, Dayton Tucker, the chief of the university’s police department said in a statement released Tuesday. The name of the student has not been released, though he is expected to be arraigned in Harrison Town Court on Tuesday afternoon. Tucker said that the student “will be going through the student …

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by Zak Failla
News
Suspect Identified After Nazi-Themed Posters Found At SUNY Purchase Suspect Identified After Nazi-Themed Posters Found At SUNY Purchase
Suspect Identified After Nazi-Themed Posters Found At SUNY Purchase Click here for an updated story: Teen ID'd By Police For Posting Nazi-Themed Posters Found At SUNY Purchase “Nazi-themed” posters found on a college campus in Westchester over the weekend have prompted a police investigation. Members of the SUNY Purchase University Police are investigating the posters and have identified a suspect believed to be responsible for spreading the posters at the Anderson Hill Road campus in Harrison. "I regret to inform the community that yesterday, Nazi-themed posters were found in various spots around campus,” Officer-in-Charge Dennis Craig said. “That this ha…

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by Zak Failla
News
Human Rights Center Offers Support After Swastika Found At High School In Westchester Human Rights Center Offers Support After Swastika Found At High School In Westchester
Human Rights Center Offers Support After Swastika Found At High School In Westchester The Holocaust and Human Rights Education Center has lent its support to a Westchester School District after a swastika was found etched into a bathroom door. A four-inch swastika was found at New Rochelle High School on Wednesday, Nov. 7, prompting an investigation, school officials said. A temporary fix has been put in place to make the sign less recognized until employees at the school can make a permanent fix. In response, the Holocaust and Human Rights Education Center issued a lengthy statement in support of the district and interim Schools Superintendent Magda Parvey. “In the wake of…

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by Zak Failla
News
$10M Added For Security At NY Religious Centers, Schools $10M Added For Security At NY Religious Centers, Schools
$10M Added For Security At NY Religious Centers, Schools In the wake of the deadliest assault on the Jewish community in American history, millions of dollars are being added to help protect cultural centers in New York from hate crimes. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced this week that a $10 million grant program to protect non-public schools and religious-based institutions is accepting applications.  The grant program comes months after $14.8 million in grants were provided to “help strengthen security measures and help prevent hate crimes or attacks against these facilities because of their ideology, beliefs or mission.” Eleven people were…

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by Zak Failla