A swastika was found Tuesday in a Rye Middle School bathroom.
“I am writing to inform you of an incident that occurred at Rye Middle School,” RMS Principal Nicholas Clair said in an email to students’ families Tuesday night. “Earlier today, a swastika was discovered drawn in one of our student bathrooms. We do not know how long it had been there, but it was removed immediately upon being reported. We are investigating this matter and will address it in accordance with our Code of Conduct.”
Councilwoman Marion Anderson, liaison to the city’s Human Rights Commission, said during the Rye City Council meeting Wednesday that the commission will work with organizations to teach students about right and wrong. She said she hopes “that we set a model for the children in our community.”
Mayor Josh Nathan expressed confidence that educators at the school will use the discovery of the antisemitic hate symbol as a “teachable moment.”
Last year, a swastika was discovered on the campus of Rye Country Day School, drawn in water on a walkway along the Boston Post Road grounds.
The swastika — though originally a symbol of well-being in ancient societies — was used by Adolf Hitler to represent the Nazi party in Germany, which killed six million Jewish people during World War II.
The incident coincided with Purim, a Jewish holiday that commemorates the saving of the Jewish people from a plot to destroy them in ancient Persia, as recounted in the Book of Esther. Purim began the evening of March 2 and continued into March 3.
“The presence of this symbol is deeply concerning,” Clair’s email said. “The swastika is widely recognized as a symbol of hate and antisemitism, and it stands in direct opposition to the values we hold as a school community. At RMS, we are committed to fostering a safe, inclusive, and respectful environment for every student and staff member.”
