Police are searching for a man who drew a swastika outside a Beverly Hills elementary school on Monday, which marked the start of the Jewish holiday Rosh Hashanah.
The hate symbol was discovered outside El Rodeo School and drawn on the sidewalk by a man who was captured on surveillance footage, the Beverly Hills Unified School District announced.
The swastika was removed and a police investigation is underway.
“This hateful symbol was visible just steps away from a campus where students, staff, and families arrive to learn and feel safe. Antisemtism is not abstract, it is real, and it continues to show up in ways that are meant to intimidate. We want to be clear: hate of any kind is not acceptable,” the school district said in a statement. “Above all we remain committed to ensuring that every student feels safe, seen, and supported every day.”
“Every student deserves to come to school without fear,” Superintendent Alex Cherniss said in a statement. “Our district will act with transparency, responsibility, and care when hate harms our community. Your safety is our top priority.”
The district says it has improved its safety and surveillance across its campuses in recent years, along with its emergency training and how it responds to threats.
The Beverly Hills Police Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Surveillance footage provided by the school district captured a man in a hat and white T-shirt bend over and draw the symbol on the ground.
The incident arrives during the Jewish High Holy Days, which started on Monday with Rosh Hashanah and will extend to Yom Kippur on Oct. 1. The Los Angeles Police Department increased police patrols around Jewish places of worship and community centers to ensure that the community is safe from any acts of antisemitism.
