School officials: Swastikas found scrawled on desks at Riverhead High School

The district says the behavior is reprehensible and has no place in the community.

Cecilia Dowd

Sep 25, 2023, 4:20 PM

Updated 437 days ago

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Swastikas were found drawn on desks at Riverhead High School, according to a letter the superintendent sent to the community on Friday.
The superintendent told parents that the district immediately opened an investigation and said the principal “has interviewed the students known to be sitting at these desks.”
The superintendent said the high school principal has reached out to the Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center for resources and support.
There is a school board meeting scheduled for Tuesday night, but this incident is not on the meeting agenda.
A spokesperson for the school district did not give an exact number of how many swastikas were drawn. He said there were “several.”
Superintendent Dr. Augustine E. Tornatore said in the letter that “The District has strict policies and has zero tolerance for any behavior, whether verbal, physical, or in any form, that is derogatory, abusive, racist or in any way defamatory. Following a thorough investigation, appropriate disciplinary action, if warranted, will be taken.”