Police in Rye are launching a probe to determine who is responsible for racist graffiti found on a school poster in a high school bathroom.

Rye City School District Superintendent Eric Byrne issued a statement to the community about the discovery, saying in part, “Late last night, a custodian found that a poster in a second-floor bathroom at Rye High School announcing a Class of 2022 fundraiser at Chipotle restaurant had been defaced…It is not yet clear to us if any student(s) saw the graffiti. We are reviewing security footage to learn more.”

Byrne also assured the community that hateful language is not and will never be tolerated in the district.

Interim High School Principal Dr. Martin Fitzgerald will address the high school student body, faculty and staff to ensure everyone is aware of what was found and to condemn it.

Byrne sent a letter home to parents Thursday, saying in part, “I encourage you to have conversations around this topic at home, as we will be having conversations at the high school.”

Alex Yeh, a junior at the high school and a member of the Coalition for Change, says students are disappointed, but not surprised.

He says some parents have been publicly voicing their dissent for the Race and Inclusivity Task Force, which was created to address issues surrounding racism.

“Parents in the community have called BLM a terrorist organization and really made it known to their kids that we shouldn’t be having conversations around race, just to make sure that white kids don’t feel guilty. I bring that up specifically because it was mentioned during a Board of Ed meeting,” he says.

People are encouraged to contact the police department with information arise by email or texting information to TIP411.

Dr. Fitzgerald or Assistant Principal Dr. Zegarelli will also accept tips via email.