Officials at a school just north of Peterborough, Ont., say OPP are investigating a series of incidents, two of which they are calling anti-Pride.
In a letter to parents, Chemong Public School principal Deb Strain says on the first day of school on Tuesday, an anti-Pride picture was found in the schoolyard. The kindergarten to Grade 8 student is in Bridgenorth, a village 20 kilometres north of Peterborough.
Strain also advised that over the summer holiday, two Pride flags were stolen from the flagpole outside the school.
She also noted over the Labour Day weekend, there were three break-ins at the school that resulted in damage to a door and surrounding glass.
“We do not know if these incidents are related, but we want to reassure you that they are being taken seriously and that these incidents do not reflect the values of our staff, students or school community,” stated Strain.
She says the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board has notified Peterborough County OPP of the latest incidents and have requested that they increase their presence around the school during after-hours.
Stein says the school and board will not tolerate any hateful actions taken against any group or individual.
“We will continue to focus on building a culture that is respectful, inclusive, and free of discrimination and harassment for everyone in our school community,” she said.
“We will continue to fly the Pride Flag proudly.”
Strain advised anyone with information on either incident to contact her or call OPP at 705-742-0401 or anonymously via the Peterborough Northumberland Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS or www.stopcrimehere.ca.
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