On Wednesday, Santa Barbara Unified School District (SBUSD) staff announced that graffiti of a swastika symbol was recently found on a pole in the Dos Pueblos High School athletic stadium.
“While we have not determined the perpetrator, Santa Barbara Unified condemns this hateful act in the strongest possible terms,” the school district said. “A custodial team removed it immediately, and an investigation is now underway.”
This is the third anti-Semitic incident to be reported in Santa Barbara County this week, following the spread of anti-Semitic messaging at UCSB and its neighboring community of Isla Vista. The string of incidents have occurred only days after International Holocaust Remembrance Day.
SBUSD emphasized that it “opposes these acts and will continue to educate our students and our community in combating any and all acts of bias and hate.” In addition, the district said it has “several initiatives already underway to address racial incidents in our community,” noting anti-bias/anti-racist training for staff and the prepared launch of an education campaign against hate.
“We stand with the Jewish community and condemn all forms of hate,” said Superintendent Dr. Hilda Maldonado. “What’s happened at Dos Pueblos and across Isla Vista/UCSB is troubling. We continue our commitment to identifying, responding, and providing remedies to racial incidents when they occur in our schools. We believe in and stand for the respectful treatment and dignity of all people as one of our strongest values.”
The school district included that students and staff members should report any incidents to their school site leaders, adding that it “will address any situation swiftly and thoroughly.”
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