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The damage happened at Forts Ferry Elementary, part of the North Colonie Central School District in Albany County, sometime over the weekend of Saturday, Oct. 29, Superintendent Joseph Corr said in a statement to parents.
In addition to the smashed windows, the vandals wrote racial slurs and drew “deplorable images” on the building’s exterior, Corr said.
Maintenance staff has since removed the vandalism and secured the windows.
Corr pointed out that the racist material was left just months after Dr. Casey Parker, a Black man, became principal at Forts Ferry in July 2022.
“Offensive and deeply hurtful to everyone in our school community, this abhorrent act is an affront to all that we strive to be in North Colonie as a community that is welcoming and affirming to everyone,” Corr said.
“We need to recognize the ugliness and pain of this moment and we must, in word and deed, stand up and say racism has no place in our schools.”
The school district said it was working with the Colonie Police Department to identify those responsible for the vandalism, which is classified as a hate crime under New York law.
Gov. Kathy Hochul said she was “disgusted” by the vandalism in a post on Twitter Monday, Oct. 31.
“I have directed (New York State Police) Hate Crimes Task Force to offer assistance in the investigation,” Hochul said.
“All New Yorkers deserve to work and learn in a safe and welcoming environment.”
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