Toronto police are investigating after swastikas and an anti-Semitic message were found in a classroom at York University.
A spokeswoman for the university said the “hate graffiti” was found Monday morning scrawled in chalk on the wall of the classroom in the Victor Phillip Dahdaleh building of the school’s Keele Campus.
“We stand against all forms of hate, and anti-Semitism is not tolerated on our campuses and does not reflect our value of inclusion,” Samina Sami said.
“We have been working proactively with Jewish students and other campus groups to support a safe and inclusive campus. The safety of our students, staff and faculty is taken seriously and we support a community where everyone can learn, work and live safely.”
READ MORE: York University fires faculty member after alleged anti-Semitic social media posts
Sami said the university responded immediately and reported the incident to police. She added that the classroom was then closed off and the area affected was being “repaired.”
Neither police or the school would comment on the specifics of the anti-Semitic message.
Marc Newburgh, CEO of Jewish student organization Hillel Ontario, said they are pleased with the university’s response to the incident.
“This incident is deeply alarming for Jewish students at York and the broader Jewish community,” he said.
“This incident is an unfortunate reminder that anti-Semitism continues to persist even in a society as welcoming as Canada and a city as diverse as Toronto.”
The Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies (FSWC) said in a statement it was “alarmed” to hear of the incident — and that it wasn’t the first time something like this had happened at the campus.
“A similar incident happened last semester in the same classroom when a swastika was found etched in the chalkboard; while the chalkboard was subsequently replaced, the students and wider community were not told whether the culprit was ever found or held responsible,” the organization said.
“FSWC has reached out to the Toronto Police Hate Crimes Unit to follow up on this disturbing incident. York University was listed as the 17th worst post-secondary institution for Jewish students in North America by the Algemeiner in December 2016.”
READ MORE: Anti-Semitic notes, vandalism found at north-end Toronto condo
Toronto Police Const. Jenifferjit Sidhu said there was no damage to the property and the incident is currently being investigated as a case of mischief, rather than a hate crime.
She added that police are continuing their investigation and seeking surveillance video to identify a culprit.
Investigators and the school are encouraging anyone with information to contact police or York Security Services at 416-650-8000 ext. 58000.
Comments