School district reports discovery of ‘small swastika’ at middle school

Riverhead Central School District reports the discovery of another swastika symbol on school property, this time on a piece of artwork at Riverhead Middle School.

Interim Superintendent Cheryl Pedisich announced the incident in a letter posted on the district website Friday afternoon. The graffiti, a “small swastika” was discovered earlier in the day Friday by students and a teacher. It was reported to a middle school administrator and the district immediately opened an investigation, Pedisich said.

The discovery follows the appearance of swastika symbols drawn on desks at Riverhead High School in September. The high school principal spoke to the students who were known to sit at the desks where the symbols were discovered and also spoke to their parents, then-Superintendent Augustine Tornatore said.

Earlier that month, young children were attacked and called the N-word by Riverhead High School and middle school students and a former student at a Riverhead Blue Waves varsity football game, according to family members of the children and at least one school board member who said she witnessed the incident. 

“Any form of antisemitic or discriminatory symbols, speech or actions are reprehensible and unacceptable in our schools and community,” Pedisich wrote in the letter yesterday. “Unfortunately, these acts are not just limited to the Riverhead community, as incidents of this nature are occurring across Long Island and throughout the country at elevated rates. We are committed to condemning this behavior and taking action to prevent such occurrences from happening in the future. We are steadfast in our development of fruitful learning environments where every student feels safe and respected and is taught to appreciate all religions, cultures and backgrounds,” she wrote.

“With this mission in mind, our district-wide Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Committee will commence their work in the coming weeks to promote acceptance and inclusion and establish programming, events and lessons throughout all of our schools,” Pedisich wrote.

Middle school students will take part in an assembly next week with community advocate Joselo Lucero, the younger brother of slain Ecuadorian immigrant Marcelo Lucero, who was fatally stabbed during an attack by seven teenage boys in Patchogue in 2008.

Lucero’s program is centered on teaching students how to treat others with dignity and respect, combat discriminatory actions and bullying and embrace diversity, Pedisich said.

MORE COVERAGE: Lucero was a speaker at a “Social Justice Diversity Summit” held by the Riverhead Anti-Bias Task Force at Riverhead High School in May 2017.

“Through these initiatives in our district, we will continue to foster educational spaces that value empathy, understanding and togetherness,” Pedisich wrote.

“When any additional information that can be shared becomes available, we will provide the community with an update,” she said.

The Riverhead Anti-Bias Task Force has said it will work with the district through “harmony sessions” consisting of “sensitivity training and circle of healing,” an idea brought to the table by the new chairperson of the task force, Mark McLaughlin. To that end, the ABTF presented a program for faculty and administration at the superintendent’s conference day Nov. 7.