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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. “These symbols and others like them are triggers that hold so much meaning for the people who have been directly impacted by hate crimes.
"They are not funny, they are not edgy or cool. They represent the worst of humanity. In Ossining, all our many cultures, religions, skin colors, languages and choices make us the desirable place to live that we are. We need everyone to help stop this madness of propagating symbols and messages of hate in our communities. We will not tolerate this behavior. We must come together to put an end to it and instead to get the word out that all are welcome here.”
Levenberg said that the village will be partnering with organizations, and area houses of worship to form a task force that will focus on educating the community about hateful symbols and how it could impact the community. More details on the task force are expected to be released coming forward.
Anyone with information regarding the incident has been asked to contact investigators at the Ossining Police Department by calling (914) 941-4099.
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