The Affton School District in St. Louis has been rocked by a second instance of racist vandalism within a week. Racist graffiti, including swastikas and phrases like "WITE POWER," was discovered at Rogers Middle School, prompting outrage from both the school's administration and the community. In a message shared with the school community, Superintendent Travis Bracht expressed that these acts of hate "do not define who we are," reaffirming that the district stands together in rejecting racism and bigotry, as reported by KSDK.
Surveillance footage caught the suspect in the act at Rogers Middle School, following a similar incident at Affton High School last week, as per FOX 2 Now. Walking between 5 feet 4 inches to 5 feet 8 inches tall, police described the suspect as a slender white man. A local hardware store also captured the suspect on video, appearing to steal two cans of black spray paint. Clad in all black, the man wore a black raincoat and had his face covered by a bandana at the time of the theft.
Following the recent incidents, parents and community members have taken to peaceful protesting outside the vandalized schools. According to an interview with Mily Grozdanic, president of the Affton Parent’s Club, given to FOX 2 Now, the community is sending a clear signal that hate will not be tolerated. "We did it last Friday. We did it again today. And it doesn’t fix the situation, but it does let them know that we stand with them and that we stand against this hate," said Grozdanic.
The response of the Affton School District to these acts of vandalism has been swift, including an arrest made by the St. Louis County Police, announced on Wednesday morning, as First Alert 4 reports. Lt. Shawn McGuire conveyed to the precinct that symbols expressing hate would not be tolerated on school property. Jordan Kadosh, regional director of ADL Heartland, noted that the school district has been proactive, already partnering with the ADL's "No Place for Hate" program for two years. There's an ADL event scheduled on March 31 at Affton High School to further address the issue and educate the community.
