Swastika Found Scratched On Wall At Darien School

DARIEN, CT — A symbol resembling a swastika was found scratched into a wall in Darien's Holmes Elementary School Tuesday, Principal Paula Bleakley announced to parents.

"It is with sadness that I write to share with you that an incomplete hate symbol that resembled a swastika and some profanity were found etched into the paint of the upper grade boys’ bathroom," Bleakley wrote in a letter to parents, a copy of which was obtained by Patch. "While we are currently investigating this situation, we felt it was necessary to take swift action in informing our community that this had occurred and reminding everyone that hate has no place in our Holmes School family."

School psychologists quickly held discussions with 4th and 5th grade students "about the dangers of words and symbols of hate," taking guidance from educational materials published by the Anti-Defamation League and the National PTA.

"We hope that by educating our children about the damaging effects of unkindness and hate and providing them with actions that they can take to address it, we will move closer to an environment where all of our children and families feel safe, accepted and valued," Bleakley wrote.

Schools Superintendent Dr. Alan Addley told the Darien Times that the school and the district will continue efforts to educate students that hateful speech and symbols do not belong in Darien or anywhere.

While the incident is being investigated, "what prompted this vandalism" is not yet known.

However, the community has had to deal with anti-Semitic vandalism in its recent past.

Three swastikas were found at Middlesex Middle School in September 2019, and another one was found scrawled on a desk about a month later.

In 2017, a tennis court at Weed Beach was vandalized with the vulgar symbol, and five trees were found spray-painted with the symbol in 2015.