PROVIDENCE – School officials in East Greenwich, R.I. are investigating after antisemitic graffiti was found at East Greenwich High School on Thursday.
The vandalism was discovered inside a boys’ bathroom and removed after it was reported, according to a statement from the district.
Principal Patrica Page and the school’s resource officer are now working to identify those responsible, officials said.
“This act of hate is deeply concerning and has no place in our schools or community,” Superintendent Brian Ricca said in a statement. “We are committed to providing a safe, welcoming, and inclusive environment for all students, staff, and families. Acts of discrimination, bigotry, or hate will not be tolerated.”
The school district said it also intends to “leverage this incident as an opportunity to reinforce its values of respect, kindness, and understanding through classroom discussions and broader community conversations,” and added that counseling and other support services are available for students.
“We ask families to take this opportunity to speak with their children about the impact of hateful actions and the importance of standing against discrimination,” Ricca said.
Antisemitic incidents have been on the rise throughout New England in recent years, according to data from the Anti-Defamation League.
The ADL’s most recent annual Audit of Antisemitic Incidents released in April found that the region saw a significant spike in occurrences of assault, harassment, and vandalism last year following Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas’ attack on Israel plunged Gaza into war.
There were 623 antisemitic incidents reported across Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Maine, and Vermont – the states served by ADL’s New England office – with 44 percent of those cases occurring after Oct. 7 that year.
The increase marked a 205 percent increase over 2022, when 204 incidents were reported.
In Rhode Island, there were 52 incidents tracked by the ADL in 2023, up from 19 recorded the year before.
Christopher Gavin can be reached at christopher.gavin@globe.com.
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