A disturbing act of vandalism in Chatham has police looking for suspects.
Authorities say anti-Semitic graffiti was painted on the side of Queen Elizabeth Public School in Chatham over the weekend, including the words “Kill the Jews” and a swastika.
“The Chatham-Kent Police Service is actively investigating this mischief as a hate crime,” Constable Renee Cowell says. “This type of behaviour will not be tolerated here in our community and investigators are hopefully that someone will come forward with information that may assist in identifying those responsible.”
Meantime, the Lambton Kent District School Board has released a statement denouncing the hate crime, and says they are in the process of removing the graffiti from the school.
“We understand that this incident has a direct impact on the community and as a community leader, we are committed to ensuring our students and staff feel safe and have a strong sense of belonging within their schools and on school property,” the LKDSB says. “This incident reiterates the importance of understanding and respecting the human rights of all individuals and our collective work to address and denounce antisemitism and anti-racism in our communities.”
Anyone who might be able to help with the investigation is asked to call Constable Dave Bakker at davidb@chatham-kent.ca or 519-436-6600 x222. Anonymous callers may call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477/.)