Scarsdale High School Faces Backlash After Disturbing Antisemitic Incident

Flyers from the Israel Culture Club at Scarsdale High School were discovered ripped down and discarded in restroom urinals, an incident described by local authorities and parents as an act of antisemitism.

This alarming episode took place on Friday in a Westchester County town known for its affluent community and top-ranked public schools. The flyers, which were meant to advertise the club’s upcoming “Israelfest,” were not only vandalized in school restrooms but also faced online disparagement.

James Dugan, a member of the Scarsdale school board and a father to a student at the high school, publicly condemned the act of vandalism.

“These recent events have been a significant teaching moment for me as a parent, deeply affecting both me and my family,” he expressed. “While my immediate concern as a parent is to focus on healing, my responsibilities as a school board member are to prioritize the wellbeing of our students, schools, and educational programs.”

Principal Kenneth Bonamo of Scarsdale High School addressed the incident in a letter to parents, noting that the flyers were forcefully removed from walls and many were thrown into the boys’ restroom urinals. Additionally, an Instagram post about Israelfest attracted “vulgar” comments, including some from individuals not associated with the school.

In a letter to district parents, Scarsdale High School Principal Kenneth Bonamo said the Israeli club’s flyers were torn off walls, with many hurled into boy’s room urinals, while an Instagram post promoting Israelfest prompted “vulgar” comments, including by a non-student.

“These behaviors are unacceptable and more broadly should be disturbing to the entire school community for the intolerance they represent,” Bonamo wrote. “Please be assured that we take these concerns to heart as we work to uphold our standards of conduct and community values.”

He said some in the New York school community complained that the map of Israel on the club’s flyer included “disputed territories as part of the State of Israel” but said that was no excuse for the vandalism.

“This is a core conflict in this debate, one that is worthy of exploration in civil discourse,” Bonamo said. “But responding in this way is still no appropriate.”

Scarsdale Superintendent of Schools Drew Patrick addressed the incident in a separate letter to parents.

“We live in a time of rising antisemitism, political polarization and a degraded civil discourse,” Patrick said. “I want the community to know that we take these complex challenged seriously and work to confront them every single day.”