Police in Maplewood are trying to determine who scrawled a “violent” antisemitic threat on a stall in a girls bathroom at Columbia High School last week.
School officials didn’t say exactly when the graffiti was scratched in paint but in a letter to parents Columbia High School principal Frank Sanchez noted the vandalism was found only after a student reported the “Free Palestine” graffiti that was above it.
VIllageGreenNJ.com was the first to report on the graffiti, which was left in a first-floor restroom in the D wing of the high school.
Maplewood police couldn’t immediately be reached for more information but in a joint statement with the Township Committee said it learned of the incident at 1:10 p.m. Thursday
“The Maplewood Township Committee unequivocally condemns this antisemitic act – it is vile and dangerous, as it directly threatens the safety of students in our schools,” police and the township committee said in a statement. “This is unacceptable and intolerable behavior. Hate has no home in Maplewood, we will continue to call out bigotry and antisemitism wherever and whenever.”
South Orange & Maplewood Superintendent Kevin Gilbert sent a letter condemning the antisemitic graffiti and reiterating that harassment and bullying behavior won’t be tolerated.
Columbia High School has 1,832 students from Maplewood and South Orange.
The graffiti was found days before a weekend in which multiple synagogues in New Jersey received bomb threats by email.
On Sunday, more than 100 children and workers at a temple in Franklin Lakes were evacuated on Sunday after a staff member received an emailed bomb threat hoax.
In addition, a synagogue in Monroe in Middlesex County and an unidentified house of worship in Hopewell Township, Mercer County, got a similar threats via email. The two threats were among many sent throughout the state to other religious institutions, police in Hopewell said.
No explosive devices were found in Franklin Lakes, Monroe or Hopewell.
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Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com