High school schedules presentation by the Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center

On the afternoon of October 8, 2021, Superintendent of Schools Robert Banzer notified district residents and parents that “several hateful words and symbols, including a swastika and racial and homophobic slurs, were found in a [Northport High School] bathroom stall.”

Of this incident, Banzer elaborated, “These words and symbols of intolerance and hate are completely unacceptable. This district is committed to making all students feel safe, supported and welcome in our buildings, and these despicable acts do not represent that mission.”

Certain mitigation practices have gone into effect since the incident occurred; to enter any and all bathrooms within the campus of Northport High School, students must present their IDs and manually sign in, reporting both their name and the time they entered and exited the facility. When using the building’s smaller bathrooms, only two students are allowed in at the same time.

While these physical precautions are meant to cease the vandalism in the short-term, Mr. Robert Dennis, principal of Northport High School, has taken further action: he formed a committee of student leaders dedicated to the preservation of inclusivity and the abandonment of hate in our schools.

The committee’s first step toward a more accepting and comprehensive Northport-East Northport school district comes in the form of a virtual presentation to be given by the Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center of Nassau County on Monday, November 15 at 7pm.

According to Mr. Dennis, “During this discussion, entitled Deconstructing Symbols of Hate, participants will have an opportunity to learn about bias, symbols of hate, and the power that one individual can have to create a positive influence and rebuke words, symbols, and acts of hate.”

Founded in 1992 by a group of Holocaust survivors, clergy, and politicians, and originally called the Holocaust Memorial and Educational Center, the Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center of Nassau County states its mission as such: “To teach the history of the Holocaust and its lessons through education and community outreach. We teach about the dangers of antisemitism, racism, bullying and all manifestations of intolerance. We promote resistance to prejudice and advocate respect for every human being.” In 2018, the institution “provided Holocaust and Tolerance programming to 23,000 students across Long Island.”

The group provides resources for teachers, including educational events and programs available from the elementary to the college levels, and even houses in its Louis Posner Memorial Library Long Island’s largest collection of Holocaust, genocide, anti-bias, and anti-bullying materials.

While the presentation is specifically geared toward parents of Northport High School students, the organization will give students the same presentation in-person on the school days of December 14 and 16. Because this Monday's presentation is virtual, parents are not required to register ahead of time. A specific link for the presentation will be emailed by Mr. Dennis to parents this Friday, November 12.

More information regarding the Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center can be found here.