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Nov 13, 2024

Police investigating racial slur written on playground equipment at Attleboro elementary school | Local News | thesunchronicle.com

Willett Elementary School ATTLEBORO -- Police are investigating a racial slur written on playground equipment at Willett Elementary School. A parent came across the slur Monday morning on a climbing

Willett Elementary School

ATTLEBORO -- Police are investigating a racial slur written on playground equipment at Willett Elementary School.

A parent came across the slur Monday morning on a climbing structure at the Watson Avenue school's playground, police said. The school was closed at the time because of the Veterans Day holiday.

Police say the slur was written with a light-colored marker, and the parent scribbled over it with a black marker.

Principal Jeffrey Cateon on Monday sent out an email to student families alerting them to the incident.

"A parent recently discovered racially insensitive graffiti on a piece of equipment on our playground and reported this to the administration," Cateon said. "Attleboro Public Schools immediately began an investigation consistent with our policies and procedures and filed a report with the Attleboro Police Department."

The graffiti is being removed by the school maintenance staff, the principal added.

"We do not tolerate racism or hatred in our school community. Our core values for all students and staff include positivity, respect, integrity, and equity," Cateon said. "This kind of behavior goes against these values and our efforts to create a safe learning environment for all.

"We understand that hearing of these actions may cause concern and bring up various emotions for both students and parents," Cateon added. "We want to emphasize that our commitment to student safety is our top priority because we know our children learn best when they feel safe and welcome."

If parents or guardians have further questions or concerns, they are asked to contact school administrators.

Racist and antisemitic graffiti was found on playground equipment at the downtown Balfour Riverwalk Park off County Street in October 2023. The equipment was defaced with swastikas, the letters KKK, and antisemitic and racist terms and threats to Jews and Blacks.

And the end of September, a message warning of a bomb threat was discovered on a bathroom wall at North Attleboro Middle School.

School officials and police deemed the threat not credible, and Superintendent John Antonucci said it was written in small letters and could have been there for a long time.