NEW YORK – Hateful graffiti and messages written in Hell’s Kitchen high school bathroom are being investigated by police as a potential hate crime.
In a notice to staff, parents and students, the principal of the Beacon School on West 44th Street and 10th Avenue says they’re taking the crime extremely seriously and are working with the NYPD to figure out who did this.
The notice went on to say this week, until further notice, students are not allowed to be alone in hallways, staircases or classrooms without a staff member or authorization.
Students were met by school safety agents and scanned by metal detectors Tuesday morning days after police said an unknown person scrawled racist and threatening messages on a bathroom stall. The case has been referred to the NYPD’s Hate Crime Unit.
“Racism and death threats, it’s baffling,” one student said.
“It’s very scary to be in a community, we’re here hearing these kinds of threats. You know, metal detectors are not gonna save anyone,” said another.
Students said they received multiple emails from their principal, including one saying “hate speech was displayed on our premises, which included racist remarks and violent threats against African-Americans, and a swastika of hate against Jewish people.”
The graffiti also mentioned threats of a school shooting.
The next day, several students called out sick.
“I thought there was gonna be something going on on Friday so I did not go to school on Friday,” one said.
“There was a lot of kids absent that Friday. Everybody was, like, really scared when they saw that email from the principal,” said another.
The email went on to say staff and students will only be allowed to use the restroom one at a time on the floor where their classroom is, and they must sign in and out.
Parents dropping off their kids at a nearby elementary school said it makes everyone uneasy.
“It’s scary because my child goes to school right across the street. It is up to school safety to make sure that the students are safe,” parent Ashley Johnson said.
“This is why I walked them to school every day. This is why I pick them up every day,” another parent said. “You gotta be more on top of your kids nowadays.”
The Beacon School says once they find the person responsible, they will “discipline to the extent possible outlined by the DOE.”
We’ve reached out to the Department of Education and are awaiting a response.