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Wheaton College investigates swastika scrawlings, one targeting Jewish student

Wheaton College president Dennis Hanno said the incident “runs counter to our values as an institution,” adding that the swastika symbolizes anti-Semitism, white supremacy and genocide.

Sign for Wheaton College in Norton, Mass. Credit: Kenneth C. Zirkel via Wikimedia Commons.
Sign for Wheaton College in Norton, Mass. Credit: Kenneth C. Zirkel via Wikimedia Commons.

Wheaton College in Norton, Mass., is investigating two recent incidents featuring swastikas.

On Nov. 7, a swastika was found drawn on the whiteboard hanging on a student’s door in a residence hall where one of the two students in the room is Jewish.

On Oct. 27, a swastika and disparaging words against women were found on a whiteboard in a common area inside the same residence hall.

Wheaton College president Dennis Hanno said the Nov. 7 incident “runs counter to our values as an institution,” adding that the swastika symbolizes anti-Semitism, white supremacy and genocide.

The college has scheduled an event on Nov. 15 to discuss the symbolism behind the swastika.

Last week, there was a solidarity rally in response to the incidents.

The meeting “focused on strategies to strengthen Jewish safety and belonging, maintain candid lines of communication and collaborate on issues where we have shared values and goals,” Phylisa Wisdom, executive director of the Mayor’s office to Combat Antisemitism, told JNS.
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