Swastikas found on desks at Riverhead High, superintendent says

Swastikas were found drawn on two desks inside a Riverhead High School classroom, according to the district superintendent.

In a letter sent to the school community, Superintendent Augustine Tornatore said a teacher informed administrators Thursday afternoon that the symbol had been drawn on a pair of desks in their classroom.

The swastikas were removed from the desks, Tornatore said in the letter, dated Friday. Principal Sean O’Hara spoke to the students known to be sitting at the desks and their parents, the superintendent said. Tornatore did not say in the letter whether the students drew the swastikas.

After an investigation, disciplinary action will be taken if it is warranted, he said.

“It goes without saying that this behavior is reprehensible and has no place in our community,” Tornatore said in the letter, noting the district has zero tolerance for behavior that is derogatory, abusive, racist or defamatory.

The incident comes as hate crimes remain a pressing problem on Long Island. In 2022, Nassau had roughly 60 hate crimes reported, up from 28 the year before, according to preliminary data compiled by the state Division of Criminal Justice Services. In Suffolk, the number of hate crimes shifted slightly, moving from 28 in 2021 to 27 in the following year, the data showed.

Driven by bias, a hate crime targets a victim based on perceptions on race, religion, age or several other aspects, according to the state. Victims of hate crimes can be individuals, groups or even property.

In August, Suffolk officials said people in the county could call 311, which also links residents with government services, to report antagonism toward Jewish people, Newsday reported, and 631-852-HATE is also available to report hate crimes.

By Tiffany Cusaac-Smith

tiffany.cusaac-smith@newsday.com@T_Cusaac

Education: Howard University 

Tiffany Cusaac-Smith came to Newsday in 2023 after being a race and history reporter at USA TODAY, where she wrote enterprise and spot articles examining how the past shapes the present. Previously, she worked as the race and justice reporter at the USA TODAY Network of New York, covering issues such as criminal justice reform, housing, environmental justice, health care and politics. At The Journal News/lohud.com in Westchester County, she covered Yonkers, the state's third-largest city. She also worked at The Associated Press in Atlanta.

Honors and Awards: Criminal justice reporting fellowship with the National Press Foundation;  New York News Publishers Association award for distinguished investigative reporting;  Contributed reporting for Best of Gannett honor; Member of Table Stakes, a program funded by the Knight-Lenfest Local News Transformation Fund and managed by the American Press Institute to transform local news.