Students and staff at Westdale Secondary School in Hamilton arrived to find some unwanted decorations on the outer facade Friday morning.
On the same week that the Hamilton Wentworth District School Board approved a masking requirement for students and staff, someone spray-painted the words “no masks” in five different locations around the high school.
Around 11 a.m. Friday, graffiti removal crews were on-scene to scrub it off.
A spokesperson for HWDSB confirmed the vandalism.
“Yes, we are aware and we take these types of incidents very seriously,” said Shawn McKillop, manager of communications at the board, adding that the graffiti has since been removed and that they’ve contacted Hamilton police.
“The contents of the graffiti expressed concerns over a response to protective health measures. Our priority is to reduce the spread of respiratory illness through a temporary universal masking requirement to ensure that our schools are in the safest conditions.”
Two other HWDSB schools in Westdale – Cootes Paradise Elementary and Dalewood Elementary – also reported the same graffiti on the premises.
Hamilton police say the same graffiti was also found on the walls of the Kehila Heschel School on Cline Avenue, which is not part of the public school board and is not impacted by the mask requirement.
A spokesperson for the Jewish day school confirmed the vandalism and said it was likely done overnight, adding that they have clear video footage of the vandal in the act of leaving the graffiti.
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