Good Afternoon, Reading Public School Community,

I am saddened to report to you that a swastika was found in one of the boy’s bathrooms at Coolidge Middle School by a School Custodian on Friday evening, April 30^th.  Police have been notified, the swastika has been recorded and removed, and the incident is under both school and police investigation.

On behalf of the Reading Public Schools, I want to apologize to the Jewish Community for this senseless and insensitive act of graffiti.  The swastika symbolizes hate and anti-Semitism and there is no place for these types of hateful actions or behaviors in our schools or in the greater Reading Community.   The Reading Public Schools has now had two acts of hate in the last few weeks and this incident indicates that we need to continue to be vigilant in our education.  Throughout the last few years, our school district has prioritized an education focused on equity and social justice through focused professional development, open circle activities at the elementary, advisory and curriculum lessons at our middle schools, and current event discussions on these topics in high school.  We have done tremendous work in this area, but as we know, this work is ongoing and will never be finished.

We will continue to use situations like these as teachable moments for our students and our community and help them understand the impact of these types of hateful actions and poor decisions.  Finally, we will continue to work closely with the Reading Police Department and the Town of Reading to address these and any future issues.

If you have any questions or information regarding this incident, please contact the Reading Police Department at 781-944-1212 or Coolidge Middle School at 781-942-9156.

Sincerely,

John F. Doherty

Superintendent of Schools