ROCKLAND, Mass. — Rockland High School parents are concerned after a swastika and slurs targeting black people were reported on Thursday afternoon at the school.
The school believes the incidents are unrelated to each other, but Rockland High School officials are taking every measure necessary to remedy the situation.
"First, there was a swastika that had been carved into a table in a classroom," said Dr. Alan Cron, Rockland High School's Superintendent. "The second was a racial epitaph that targeted African Americans which was found elsewhere in the school."
The superintendent immediately alerted parents and reached out to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) as well as the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).
"I don't want the entire faculty or school population to feel a level of shame about this, I want them to be as outraged as we are," Dr. Cron said.
The ADL says it's crucial for schools to treat these incidents seriously. They have issued a statement regarding the incident at Rockland and it reads as follows:
"Regardless of intent, racist and anti-Semitic epithets and symbols send messages of hate and impact school safety and the learning environment. We commend Rockland for being transparent and using this incident as a learning opportunity."
"We obviously educate on a regular basis about tolerance and kindness and embracing differences, but this give us an opportunity to revisit it," said Dr. Cron.
The ADL has supplied the school with the necessary resources which the superintendent plans to use long term.
"They have designed these materials to be integrated into an English class or history class where these topics are often discussed," said Dr. Cron.
Parents are grateful to the school for addressing the issue so aggressively and making sure students are safe.
Rockland Police are still investigating the incident but have not yet identified the culprits for the hateful messages.