Police investigate swastika taped inside Mt. Lebanon classroom

A handmade swastika found inside a classroom at Mt. Lebanon School District’s Jefferson Middle School on the third anniversary of the Tree of Life synagogue shooting has prompted Mt. Lebanon police to investigate.

An unknown vandal or vandals made a swastika out of masking tape and affixed it to a dry erase board on Wednesday, according to Mt. Lebanon School District Superintendent Timothy J. Steinhauer. He said that school administrators are cooperating with local police and will be taking “appropriate disciplinary action for those found responsible for this incident.”

“There is no place for this type of behavior in our school and community,” Steinhauer wrote in a letter addressed to students, parents and staff. “We take incidents like this very seriously. There is no tolerance for discriminatory behavior in our schools.”

On Thursday, the Mt. Lebanon Commission issued a statement expressing disappointment with the swastika’s presence at the school, particularly on the date that marked three years since the Oct. 27 mass shooting in Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood that claimed the lives of 11 congregants from three congregations — Tree of Life-Or L’Simcha, New Light and Dor Hadash.

“This act does not reflect the views of Mt. Lebanon, an inclusive and diverse community that cares deeply for its Jewish residents,” commissioners said in a joint statement. “We continue to work with the school district to ensure the safety and security of all residents, and we affirm our commitment to making Mt. Lebanon a place where everyone feels welcome.”

The incident spurred Jefferson Middle School Principal Sarah Shaw to turn to local rabbis for help addressing what happened and how to prevent acts of hate and the use of hateful symbols. District officials investigated two separate incidents involving swastikas scrawled inside a bathroom stall in March.