Elementary school principal says swastika is 'symbol of peace' in some religions — and backlash is swift



The backlash was swift after an elementary school principal in Washington state said the swastika is a "symbol of peace" in some religions — and now the principal is on administrative leave.

A swastika was found Monday on a wall at Phantom Lake Elementary School in Bellevue, KOMO-TV reported. After the discovery, the school district said Principal Heather Snookal sent two messages, KIRO-TV reported.

'To me, it is the most warped version of inclusion we could come up with to ask Jewish families in this day and age to be tolerant of the swastika.'

In her first message — a school text alert — the principal wrote that such "symbols of hate" have surfaced in their school and that the swastika was removed immediately, KOMO said, adding that the principal also encouraged families to communicate with their children the importance of respecting others and standing up against hate.

Hours later, parents shared with KOMO an email from the principal with the subject line: "Follow-up on recent incident and cultural awareness." The station said the principal in the email apologized for not acknowledging in her initial text alert that while a swastika is often associated with hate and intolerance, it's important to acknowledge the swastika also has deep historical and cultural significance in other parts of the world. She also thanked members of the community for bringing it to her attention, the station added.

KOMO noted that the principal wrote, in part:

In Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and other ancient cultures, the swastika is a symbol of peace, prosperity, and good fortune. We recognize that for many of our families, this symbol has a positive and spiritual meaning, completely unrelated to the hateful associations it took on in more recent history.

As a school committed to inclusivity and cultural understanding, we want to ensure that our students from all backgrounds feel welcomed, valued, and celebrated. We also want to make sure our community is educated about the diverse meanings and histories behind symbols like the swastika so that we can all avoid misunderstandings that could inadvertently marginalize or hurt our students.

The station said several parents called the second message "unacceptable," that they told her so in an email, and that some planned to meet with her Monday after school. But KOMO said it learned before the end of the school day that the Bellevue School District put the principal on administrative leave and launched an investigation.

The station noted the following statement from the district:

There is absolutely no place for hate in the Bellevue School District. In a time where words and symbols are used to divide us, we are working with administrators, staff, and students to call our community in for courageous conversations to affirm each other’s cultures, beliefs, and identities.

We share in the burden and pain that our Jewish families feel regarding the rise in antisemitism locally and across our country. Bellevue, like other districts, has seen a rise in antisemitic incidents, particularly this past year, and we are taking action to address it. Vandalism on a playground using a swastika is antisemitic and goes against our district’s commitment to building what Dr. King championed as 'The Beloved Community' — a place where people truly care for one another, and there is no hunger, poverty, or hate.

Superintendent Aramaki recently sent out a blog post sharing his commitment to addressing antisemitism in our district. This incident will be investigated and addressed according to our policies and procedures. We acknowledge the pain that every incident like this has on our whole community, but especially on our Jewish community.

Tirzah Dondanville, a parent with two daughters at the school, told KOMO that "there is no reason why a symbol of hatred should be on our school grounds or given any equivocation. To me, it is the most warped version of inclusion we could come up with to ask Jewish families in this day and age to be tolerant of the swastika."

But another parent told KIRO that the principal "is not erasing what happened to the Jewish community whatsoever. Because you know we all know about it. We all know what happened. But like she said, many symbols do mean different things for different cultures, so we cannot disassociate what one person did and forget what this symbol means to everyone else."

You can view a video report here about the controversy.

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Retired United Methodist Church leader caught on video writing what Jewish woman says is swastika on box outside her door



A retired leader of the United Methodist Church in the Los Angeles area was caught on video writing what a Jewish woman said was a swastika on a box outside her door late last year.

What are the details?

KCAL-TV said Leah Grossman confronted her neighbor Mark Nakagawa around 10:15 p.m. on Dec. 5 just seconds after video caught him leaning down and writing on her groceries. KCAL's video report indicates Nakagawa was listed as a pastor and senior leader in Los Angeles' United Methodist Church until last year.

Video of Grossman's confrontation with Nakagawa at first shows him appearing to deny knowledge of what happened and then denying the symbol is a swastika:

Grossman: "Is there a problem?"
Nakagawa: "What?"
Grossman: "Is there a problem?"
Nakagawa: "No."
Grossman: "Is that a Nazi symbol?"
Nakagawa: "No."
Grossman: "What is that?"
Nakagawa: "I'm just walking by here. I don't know."
Grossman: "I saw you."
Grossman: "I have a camera. Like, what is that? What did you draw there?"
Nakagawa: "I don't know."

KCAL spoke to Grossman — a single, Jewish mom raising two boys under 12 — who said after the incident she "fell to pieces" and felt "just shattered."

"Like, I've never shook like that before. My toes were shaking. I get emotional thinking about it because it reminds me of all the people I know, my family, my children," she told the station while trying to hold back tears.

Image source: YouTube screenshot

Grossman noted to KCAL the confrontation with Nakagawa occurred not long after he allegedly called her a fascist in a homeowner's association meeting because she displayed an Israeli flag from her balcony after the deadly Oct. 7 Hamas sneak attacks.

Image source: YouTube screenshot

"What's going on in the world has really opened up a crevasse of anti-Semitism, and I think people feel really emboldened to push Jewish people around," Grossman added. "People just shouldn't get away with this."

Image source: YouTube screenshot

'Bad judgment on my part'

KCAL interviewed Nakagawa, and the station said he claimed Grossman called him a fascist — but he didn't deny writing the symbol.

Nakagawa told KCAL his intent in writing the symbol on a box outside Grossman's door was to educate Grossman about the symbol's history as a Buddhist symbol of love. Yet, he repeatedly insisted he didn't know how Grossman would react, the station said.

Image source: YouTube screenshot

The reporter — KCAL's Laurie Perez — wasn't buying the former UMC pastor's explanation.

"You know what she was going to think about it," Perez said, according to the station's video report, which shows her conducting her own confrontation. "You put a swastika on a Jewish" person's belongings, and it seems like "you're trying to intimidate them. And it's a symbol of hate. It's recognized as a symbol of hate."

KCAL said Nakagawa at first denied the symbol was a swastika, but then Perez on the station's video called out Nakagawa's behavior, which included trying to place the symbol on the victim's belongings without being detected, then denying to Grossman that he did anything until she said she caught him on camera.

Perez then told Nakagawa his actions against Grossman on the night of Dec. 5 can't easily be interpreted as an attempt to educate a Jewish woman about the symbol's origin, either.

"In hindsight, the way I went about it was not the right away to go about it," Nakagawa told KCAL. "It was bad judgment on my part. I realize that."

The station's video report added that Nakagawa soon stepped down as HOA president and tried to apologize to Grossman at least three times.

KCAL's video report added that police called the symbol drawing a "hate incident" but not a "hate crime" since there was no property damage.

The station also said there is a movement to take back the swastika's meaning as a sacred symbol by educating people about its origin.

Jewish woman says neighbor drew swastika on her belongingsyoutu.be

Anything else?

The California-Pacific Conference of the UMC posted the following message concerning Nakagawa on its website Monday:

Our community was saddened to learn over the weekend about an incident in December involving one of our retired clergy and former District Superintendent, Mark Nakagawa. The California-Pacific Annual Conference does not condone any form of hate or discrimination. We are committed to loving our neighbors, fostering an inclusive and respectful environment for all, and nurturing interfaith relationships in our communities.

Rev. Nakagawa retired from active ministry in July 2023. He is currently in a supervisory process regarding this incident.

The conference in February 2023 announced Nakagawa's retirement as west district superintendent effective July 1, 2023.

Calling Nakagawa's "joyous and generous spirit" a "blessing," Rev. Dr. Dottie Escobedo-Frank — resident bishop of the Los Angeles area — added in the retirement announcement that she's "witnessed" Nakagawa's "kindness, strength, and mercy for God’s people."

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Jewish boy with autism returned from school with swastika carved into his skin, mother says; FBI 'prepared to investigate'



The FBI is prepared to investigate after a woman said her Jewish son with autism came home from school with a swastika carved into his back, NBC news reported Saturday.

"We are aware of the incident and are in regular contact with local authorities. If during the local investigation, information comes to light of a potential federal civil rights violation, the FBI is prepared to investigate," the agency said in a statement acquired by the outlet.

The mother, who asked to remain anonymous, says her 17-year-old is a senior at Clark High School in Las Vegas, Nevada. He is nonverbal, has a full time attendant while at school, and uses a service dog. COL Live reported.

"My son is the only student I know of who wears a kippah at the school," the boy's mother told the outlet.

A kippah, sometimes called a yarmulke or skullcap, is a headcovering Jewish people wear as a sign of respect and reference for God.

The mother noticed the hateful symbol carved or scratched into the skin of her son's back March 9. She notified the school that evening and filed a report with the Clark County School District Police March 13. She has since pulled him out of school, Las Vegas Review-Journal reported.

The boy's attendant reportedly told the mother than "nothing happened at school." The mother says there is no video evidence because the school does not allow video cameras in classrooms, locker rooms, or bathrooms, COL Live also reported.

Jolie Brislin, executive director of the Anti Defamation League of Nevada told KTNV the incident was "probably one of the most egregious [she had] seen."

"And it's not only because the student was targeted because of their identifiable faith, but also because of the vulnerability due to his disability."

ADL of Nevada is in close contact with the parents, the school, and law enforcement, Brislin said in a statement. She added that the organization was partnering with Jewish Nevada and Secure Community Network to provide the school with antisemitism education.

A statement from the school said police investigated the incident, but found no evidence that shed light on the origin of the injuries, Las Vegas Review-Journal reported. The statement said the investigation included interviews with staff and review of camera footage.

"The Israeli-American Council was appalled to learn that a Jewish teen may have been targeted in such an inhumane antisemitic attack," said Shoham Nicolet, IAC's co-founder and CEO, in a statement acquired by LVRJ.

"We urge authorities to investigate this incident to the fullest."

Watch KTNV's coverage of the disturbing incident below.



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SWAT team sent to arrest Atlanta man who spray-painted swastikas on LGBTQ rainbow crosswalk



A SWAT team was sent to arrest a Georgia man who spray-painted swastikas on an LGBTQ rainbow crosswalk in Atlanta.

On Wednesday, the Atlanta Police LGBTQ Liaison Unit was first alerted about a "symbol that appeared to be a swastika spray-painted" at the intersection of 10th Street and Piedmont Avenue, according to Fox News.

The Atlanta Department of Transportation immediately scrubbed the hate symbol from the crosswalk. However, another swastika was spray-painted on the same LGBTQ rainbow crosswalk.

An unnamed man was caught on surveillance video and a dash camera spray-painting swastikas on a crosswalk branded with LGBTQ rainbows in midtown Atlanta.

Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum previously said, "This is an unacceptable act in this city, anywhere in this city or in any form where citizens are targeted by hate. This department is aggressively looking now for the individual who did this."

The Atlanta Police Department asked the public to help identify the suspect.

\u201cAPD investigators are asking for the public\u2019s help to identify a person responsible for vandalizing the Rainbow Crosswalk in Midtown ATL. Investigators believe the same person is responsible for two incidents occured: 08/17/22 & 08/19/22. Call Crime Stoppers 404-577-TIPS (8477)\u201d
— Atlanta Police Department (@Atlanta Police Department) 1660903958

Investigators identified the suspect and went to his apartment around 12 p.m. on Friday. The suspect refused to respond to police officers.

"When the suspect wouldn’t come out, Atlanta police SWAT teams were requested to come to the scene and continued to try to make attempts to contact the suspect," WSB-TV reported. "Roads in the area were blocked off as officers worked to get the man out safely."

Around 5 p.m., the suspect was arrested and taken into custody without incident, according to Atlanta Police Department spokesperson TaSheena Brown.

Authorities did not reveal the identity of the suspect. It was unclear what charges he faces.

"When you have a swastika, when you have homophobic graffiti, of course it’s a hate crime," Schierbaum said. "The motivation is to intimidate. The motivation is to spread hate, and this city doesn’t have any room for hate, and this police department doesn’t tolerate hate."

A spokesman for Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens’ office thanked the city's employees "for erasing the hate that has no place in our city in such a swift and efficient manner."

The LGBTQ rainbow crosswalk was painted for the 2015 Pride festival.

The city of Atlanta made the LGBTQ rainbow crosswalk permanent as a memorial to the 49 victims of the deadly 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting.

The rainbow crosswalk represents "symbols of acceptance, unity and tolerance representing the diversity of the LGBTQ+ community and its allies," according to the organization that called for the creation of the painted street.

Rabbi speaks after man suspected of spray paining Atlanta rainbow crosswalk with swastika is arreste www.youtube.com

Following remarks by a Conservative MP who is Jewish, Trudeau accuses Conservative Party members of siding with 'people who wave swastikas'



Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused members of the country's Conservative Party of siding with "people who wave swastikas," making the incendiary comment directly on the heels of remarks delivered by Conservative MP Melissa Lantsman, who is a Jewish woman.

Trudeau made the inflammatory comment after Lantsman had accused him of fanning "the flames of an unjustified national emergency."

Trudeau declared that, "Conservative Party members can stand with people who wave swastikas, they can stand with people who wave, ah, the Confederate flag. We will choose to stand with Canadians who deserve to be able to get to their jobs ... These illegal protests need to stop. And they will Mr. Speaker."

Trucker protests: Trudeau faces heated Parliament once again after invoking Emergencies Act | FULL youtu.be

Loud jeers could be heard as Trudeau delivered his remarks.

Lantsman, who said she is a "descendant of Holocaust survivors," wants an apology from Trudeau.

"I think the Prime Minister should think long and hard about his own history before singling out a Jewish Member of Parliament and falsely accusing me of standing with a Swastika. What a disgraceful statement unbecoming of anyone in public office - he owes me an apology," Lantsman tweeted.

Canada has been rocked recently by blockades as protestors take a stand to oppose COVID-19 restrictions.

BBC Journalist Covering Gaza Wrote ‘Hitler Was Right’ In Old Tweets

The BBC is investigating one of its reporter's anti-Semitic posts on her Twitter account from 2014.

Columbia University professor complains that the American flag is a 'symbol of genocide'



A Columbia University adjunct lecturer insists that the American flag is a hateful symbol of genocide.

What are the details?

Professor Anthony Zenkus of the university's school of social work, responded to a tweet that said the hammer and sickle "is a symbol of genocide."

Zenkus tweeted, "The American Flag is a symbol of genocide. Unless centuries of slavery and the vanquishing of Native American nations doesn't figure into your equation."

The original user's tweet said, "[T]he hammer and sickle is a symbol of genocide. What you gonna admire next, the swastika?"

The American Flag is a symbol of genocide. Unless centuries of slavery and the vanquishing of Native American natio… https://t.co/eSwpex4dVi
— Prof Zenkus (@Prof Zenkus)1602852088.0

What else?

According to Campus Reform, the Al Gore-trained professor's faculty profile reveals that he is an "activist on issues of racial justice, income equality, and climate justice." Zenkus has also reportedly been an organizer with Occupy Wall Street.

Common Dreams reports that Zenkus is also a licensed social worker and social work educator who "trains judges, law enforcement, medical professionals, and educators on sexual violence and trauma."

The organization also reports that Zenkus has taught at Adelphi University.

In 2018, a user on Rate My Professors said that Zenkus seemed more like a social justice warrior than a social worker.

The anonymous user wrote, "Prof. Zenkus is clearly passionate about what he does, but he comes off as more of a social justice warrior than a social worker. He is very idealistic and shares his personal view very openly. Check out his Twitter and you'll see what I mean. He is very intelligent and I did enjoy taking his class, so at least there is that."

Turning Point USA's Professor Watchlist also describes Zenkus as director of education for The Safe who made the organization's list after "responding to a conservative journalists [sic] comment" about an apparently pro-capitalism CNN tweet.

"Zenkus responded to the pro-capitalism tweet sent by the journalist by saying, 'Odd how you forget the millions who died under #capitalism. The two world wars, centuries of slavery, and the genocide of native americans [sic]. Bet they didn't think that was cool either,'" the organization noted.