California residents are expressing shock at the discovery of a swastika and a racial slur in a message left on an elementary school fence.
The message was found outside on a fence shared between Rio Seco Elementary School and the SportsPlex in Santee near San Diego.
‘Hate has no place in our schools or community.’
Someone snapped a photo of the message and posted it to the Facebook page “All Things Happening in Santee.”
The school district said in a statement that it notified the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office and immediately took the messages down.
“The Santee School District strongly condemns acts of hate and vandalism. Recently, we discovered an offensive and hateful symbol displayed on a shared fencing area,” the statement reads in part.
An image of the message on social media shows that the slur was the N-word.
“Hate has no place in our schools or our community. We remain strictly committed to fostering safe and welcoming learning environments for all students, staff, and families,” the district continued.
The incident comes as the City of Santee continues efforts to strengthen its reputation and promote unity following past incidents involving hate groups.
KGTV-TV spoke to residents who were enjoying the city’s weekly concert series near the school.
“It’s kind of sad that that’s happening because, you know, it’s the old saying, one bad apple,” resident Dion Milton said. “You can’t let it spoil the whole tree.”
“My sister-in-law grew up here when this was nothing but farmland,” he added. “It has changed, and I think for the better.”
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Milton went on to end with a hopeful message.
“You’re going to have your few that don’t know how to love,” he added. “You just try to show them love, and maybe they’ll catch on. If they don’t, then maybe next time.”
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