Anti-Semitic graffiti was discovered on a New York City elementary-school playground on Feb. 22. Several swastikas and the words “Hail (sic) Hitler” were scrawled in chalk at Public School 139 Rego Park’s playground in Queens.
The incident occurred during winter break, and the graffiti was later removed by staff members. The New York City Police Department is investigating the incident as a hate crime.
“I am appalled and disgusted by the swastikas and other anti-Semitic symbols of hate that were scrawled in a Queens schoolyard,” New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in a Feb. 24 statement. “In New York, we have zero tolerance for such vile acts of anti-Semitism.”
He added, “I am directing the State Police Hate Crimes Task Force to immediately assist the NYPD in the investigation of this hideous act and hold those accountable to the full extent of the law.”
New York City Councilman Chaim Deutsch (D-Brooklyn), chairman of the New York City Council Jewish Caucus, said in a Feb. 24 statement: “This has gotten completely out of hand. I urge Mayor [Bill] de Blasio to immediately implement mine and Councilmember Mark Levine’s bills that recently passed in the City Council, which would require educational outreach to teach about the impact of hate, bias and anti-Semitism.”
First published at the Jewish Journal.
