4 Swastikas Found At Port Washington Middle School, Legal Action Promised

PORT WASHINGTON, NY — Three more swastikas were found in the boys bathroom at Weber Middle School on Friday after one was found last Thursday, Port Washington Superintendent Michael Hynes told the community in a letter obtained by Patch.

Hynes said he felt "great outrage and disappointment" at the discovery, which the district reported to the Port Washington Police Department. Custodians are inspecting the district's bathrooms more often, Hynes said. The district has "extensive surveillance infrastructure" it is using to narrow its investigation, the superintendent said. Hynes said the district will pursue the investigation to the "fullest extent of the law."

The discovery of the three swastikas happened on the same day Weber Middle School Principal Beth Javeline, Port Washington Police Detective Anthony Guzzello, and Hynes held an assembly that focused on educating students about the "damage caused and the effects of such hateful symbolism," Hynes said. That only compounded the superintendent's disappointment, he said.

"It is clear to me that stronger tactics are necessary with both our students and parent community, so that we can reinforce our stance that antisemitism will not be tolerated and must be rooted out of our schools," Hynes said. "We will continue our efforts to find the perpetrators of these attacks and make sure they are punished for their actions. We will simply not rest until we are assured that every one of our students can walk through our schools without fear."