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Wilton Police Arrest 15-Year-Old In Swastika Incident At High School

WILTON, Conn. -- A 15-year-old Wilton High School student turned himself in to police on Monday morning in connection with a swastika incident at the school, police said. 

A student has been charged in a swastika incident at Wilton High School.

A student has been charged in a swastika incident at Wilton High School.

Photo Credit: Frank MacEachern

The teen was charged on a juvenile arrest warrant and released to the custody of a parent, police said. 

The 15-year-old student is charged with intimidation based on bigotry/bias, breach of peace and third-degree criminal mischief, said Lt. Thomas Conlan. 

The swastika was found carved into a locker at the high school on Sept. 8 and was reported to police. 

The case was investigated by School Resource Officer Rich Ross. Through his investigation, a suspect was identified, and police applied for an arrest warrant. The warrant was signed on Sept. 14 at Norwalk Superior Court. 

Wilton High School principal Robert O’Donnell had emailed a letter to parents and the school community about the incident. 

“The community was deeply troubled and saddened to discover a swastika etched on a student locker. I am writing to inform you about the incident, express my genuine concern and discuss the actions we will take going forward," O’Donnell said in the letter. 

The locker was replaced, and the person responsible was identified, the letter said. 

The "plan will include consequences for behavior that violates our discipline code, but will exceed a merely punitive stance," O'Donnell said. "We have an opportunity, no matter how ill-conceived, to renew and augment our school's dialogue around the perils of intolerance and the importance of respecting the dignity of all persons and groups."

He reiterated the school's intolerance for the incident.  

"Symbols of hatred, racism and anti-Semitism have no place" in a public school, he wrote in the letter. "Our school's mission is to ensure a nurturing, respectful environment in which we foster scholarship, character and citizenship. That mission requires an atmosphere free of prejudice, cruelty and intolerance." 

The full text of the letter can be read here at the Wilton School District website. 

Read more about the incident here on the Daily Voice. 

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