And so we’re here again. Another day, another racist incident at some high school across the nation. This time, staff and students discovered racist graffiti painted on school grounds at the Pinnacle High School in Phoenix over the weekend, sparking a police investigation.
The graffiti, which was mostly centered on the outside of the school’s auditorium, included words such as “white power” and the n-word and also symbols like swastikas, the Arizona Republic reports.
Because the incident took place over the weekend, it is assumed that the paint has been removed. However, the investigation is ongoing. Phoenix Police Sgt. Mercedes Fortune confirmed that the department’s Bias Crimes and Graffiti Detail units are looking into the incident. The Arizona chapter of the Anti-Defamation League also reported the vandalism to the police.
“ADL finds the vandalism disturbing,” Carlos Galindo-Elvira, regional director of the Anti-Defamation League in Arizona, told news station KPNX. “We find the language to be racially charged ... the use of a hate symbol to be inappropriate and certainly the language that was used to denote African Americans, truthfully disturbing.”
Paradise Valley Unified School District communications specialist Becky Kelbaugh sent out an email denouncing the vandalism, stating, “PV Schools does not tolerate this type of behavior.” She added that district officials are working with police regarding the incident.
Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton also spoke out against the incident, entreating the public to call police if they have any information.
Read more at the Arizona Republic and KPNX.