Swastika found on pole in high school’s stadium
The Santa Barbara Unified School District is condemning an anti-Semitic act committed at Dos Pueblos High School.
The staff was troubled to learn a swastika was discovered on a pole in the Goleta school’s stadium.
A custodial team removed it immediately and an investigation is now under way, district spokesman Ed Zuchelli said.
“While we have not determined the perpetrator, Santa Barbara Unified condemns this hateful act in the strongest possible terms,” Mr. Zuchelli said in a statement. “Santa Barbara Unified opposes these acts and will continue to educate our students and our community in combating any and all acts of bias and hate. If you see or hear anything, please report it to school site leaders.”
Dr. Hilda Maldonado, the Santa Barbara Unified superintendent, said the district stands with the Jewish community and condemns all forms of hate. She referred to the incidents at Dos Pueblos and to anti-Semitic fliers found in the Isla Vista area.
“What’s happened at Dos Pueblos and across Isla Vista/UCSB is troubling,” Dr. Maldonado said. “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.”
On Nov. 15, the school district’s board of trustees adopted a Resolution on Respectful Treatment of All Persons.
The resolution calls for “students, employees, parents and community members in both schools and offices treat all persons equally and respectfully and refrain from the willful or negligent use of slurs against any person on the basis of race, language spoken, color, sex, religion, disability, national origin, immigration status, age, gender, sexual orientation or political belief.”
Mr. Zuchelli said the district has several initiatives under way to address racial incidents in the community. “Our staff is taking Anti-Bias/Anti-Racist Training right now, and we are awaiting the results of the Insight Racial Climate Survey analysis. SB Unified is also preparing to launch the ‘I U We Stand’ campaign soon as part of an education campaign against hate.
“Any student or staff member should report any incident to their school site leaders, and we will address any situation swiftly and thoroughly,” Mr. Zuchelli said.
“These incidents happened as we enter Black History Month and just after International Holocaust Remembrance Day,” he said. “SB Unified encourages our families to join us in having conversations with students about how these and other groups have historically faced discrimination. Instead, the district wants to celebrate our differences and denounce all forms of hate and violence.”
email: dmason@newspress.com
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Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown has issued a statement condemning the anti-Semitic fliers found in the Isla Vista area. A2.
