Pennridge High School exterior. (Courtesy of Matt Wargo)
The district announced its investigation last week in an email to parents.
The Pennridge School District has launched an investigation following the drawing of a swastika outside of its high school in late November.
The district announced its investigation last week in an email to parents. The email came a few days after parent Laura Foster, cofounder of the RIDGE Network, a parent-led advocacy group, questioned the school board about the matter at its Dec. 2 meeting.
In the email, high school principal Tim Keddie stated that a “symbol of hate” had been found outside of the school building. He informed parents that the suspect could not be identified from the surveillance footage.
“Hate-filled symbols have no place here and are in stark contrast to our values of acceptance, respect, and care for one another,” Keddie wrote. “We are committed to fostering a safe and supportive environment for all students and the professional staff in the school district.”
In a separate email, director of student services Ernest Johnson revealed that the symbol was a swastika drawn in chalk. He added that he had been tasked by Superintendent Angelo Berrios to investigate the incident.
“I intend to complete the investigation immediately and report back to the superintendent,” Johnson wrote. “Next steps will be formulated once the investigation is finished.”
On Tuesday, the district drew criticism from the American Jewish Committee. While welcoming the investigation, the organization expressed concerns about the district’s response, characterizing it as “belated” and “ambiguous.”
“The swastika is more than a symbol of hate. It represents a vile ideology that calls for the extermination of all Jews,” said AJC Philadelphia/Southern NJ Director Marcia Bronstein in a statement. “Let’s use this incident as a teachable moment to create education and training programs to recognize antisemitism, call it out for what it is and learn how to fight back against its corrosive message.”
The investigation is ongoing. No suspects have been identified.
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