A swastika was discovered Friday morning etched on the back of an auditorium chair at Memorial Middle School, authorities said. The hate-based behavior comes a week after another swastika was found in the boy’s bathroom of the same school. The latest incident comes days before the celebration of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year.

The school is unaware of when the antisemitic symbols, which have since been removed, were placed in both locations. They are making the investigation a top priority for the district community, said Superintendent Nicholas Norcia. The Fair Lawn police are investigating both incidents.

Norcia is urging everyone in the community to continue having conversations around respect and acceptance. “Hate-based behavior is intolerable and has no place in society and in our schools. The staff of the Fair Lawn Public Schools will continue to promote an environment of inclusiveness for all our students. We will continue to educate our students on the need for respecting one another,” said Norcia in a Facebook post.

Fair Lawn has a curriculum that studies the history of the Holocaust and genocide, the superintendent said. They also have diversity celebrations throughout the school year. “We are very aware of the rise in antisemitism across the nation since the election in 2016 and we continue to find ways to educate the youth in the community,” said Mayor Kurt Peluso.

During a council meeting in Fair Lawn on Sept. 24, an ordinance was introduced to add a community relations advisory committee. The committee will create educational, cultural, and community programming, that promotes inclusivity. The committee will address hate behavior. The goal is that they can be more proactive than reactive. One of the first events the committee will organize is an interfaith night, an event that also took place last year in Fair Lawn.