READING, MASS. (WHDH) - Reading school officials are expected to address students Monday about messages of hate found inside the high school.
Parents of Reading Memorial High School received a letter about an ongoing investigation into two swastika drawings that a student allegedly found on the leg of a science lab bench Friday.
Reading residents called the incident “disgusting.”
“People breed hatred, you know, so you have to look at where it comes from,” resident David McCarthy said. “If it’s in the school, must be a student, but that student goes home at night.”
The symbol of hate and anti-semitism found in the school was immediately reported to Reading police.
“To do something like that is no good at all; they should be arrested,” said resident Orazio Pappalardo. “Everybody’s human. Respect everybody, no matter what your race, color, creed, whatever. Respect everybody.”
In the letter sent to parents, Principal Kathleen Boynton wrote, “While this is an ongoing investigation, we are uncertain when the images were drawn because the graffiti was not in an obvious location. Unfortunately, we continue to have these graffiti-related incidents in our schools and in our community.”
She added that no written threat was included in the drawings.
During her address to students Monday, Boynton will ask any students with information to help identify the person responsible.
This is just the latest swastika graffiti incident at the high school.
In May of last year, police said a swastika was found drawn in blue permanent marker on the floor of a classroom and another was etched on a cinder block wall in the bathroom at the high school field house.
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