Spray-Painted Swastika Sparks Mixed Reaction

Anti-Semitic slurs and a swastika painted on the Elmood Road home of a Jewish family in South Salem sparked different reactions across town on Monday as students and community members learned of the incident.

"I think it's offensive but those students may not have understood the meaning of the swastika," said Bella Flanagan, a freshman at John Jay. "I've seen people draw them and think it was just a symbol, they don't get what it means."

Four youths were accused on Friday of a hate crime after an investigation into the anti-Semitic graffiti conducted by New York State Police and the Lewisboro Police Department led to the arrest of Michael Trapasso, 17, of South Salem, Cris Grispin, 17, of South Salem, Daniel Mitchell, 17, of Cross River, and Michael Skalaski, 18 of Golden’s Bridge. They each face felony charges of second-degree hate crime and third-degree criminal mischief.

The incident also included anti-Semitic messages painted on post office vehicles in Vista, and other graffiti on the paddle ball courts at John Jay High School, said Patrick Bosley, a senior investigator with the state police department. Trapasso and Skalaski are current seniors at John Jay High School; Grispin and Mitchell are recent graduates.

School district administrators would not say Monday whether the students would face disciplinary action, but school board president Michael Gordon said while it was "premature" to comment on the allegations, "we have long maintained in our schools a focus on the evils of all forms of intolerance, bias, and bigotry and we shall continue to do so."

* Tom Gossett, owner of Gosset Brothers Nursery in South Salem and a former employer of Grispin, said he did not believe that the incident was intentionally anti-Semitic.

"He [Grispin] is not an anti-Semitic kid. He's young...I hope [the media] doesn't make this out to be an anti-Jewish incident. I don't think the students know what it means. It's a tough lesson, but he had to learn it," he said.

Others said that even if it was just a group of youngsters behaving badly, the incident should not be treated lightly.

Rabbi David Greenberg of Temple Sharaay Tefila when he fired off a swift response after hearing about the incident over the weekend.

"The swastica stands for hatred of the one whom you label as 'inferior' or 'alien.' You commit your act of ignorance and wickedness in the dark of night. Come out in public in the daylight so that we can all tell you that you have no place among the good and decent people of our community," he said in a

The residents of the Elmwood Avenue home were not members of the n, the nearest temple to their home, but Leslie Gottlieb, director of education, said the incident should not be tolerated.

"Even if it was a prank, it conveys a meaning, a message of hatred, and it's hurtful to the community," she said, painfully recalling an incident a few years prior, when a swastika was painted on a sign in front of the temple. "Through the education of young people we can stamp out ignorance."

Another student, a senior at John Jay who is Jewish and did not want to be named, said whether it was a prank or not, it was "unsettling."

"I'm trying to see another side...where they may not have known the significance behind a swastika. But it's a symbol that has so much hatred behind it. The timing is unfortunate because it's how they may be remembered by their classmates."

* Editor's Note: An editorial relating to this story

The story originally stated the graffiti was on the exterior of John Jay High School; it was on the paddle ball courts and not anti-semitic in nature. We have fixed the copy and regret the error.