Elsie Allen High School tagged with racist symbols

Santa Rosa police are investigating vandalism at Elsie Allen High School after a Nazi symbol was found painted on campus Wednesday.

A swastika was spray-painted onto the glass door of a trophy case near the school courtyard, while the letters “WP,” presumably meaning “white power,” covered a nearby bulletin board on the heavily Latino campus.

“It hurts,” said Omar Medina, an Elsie Allen alumnus who got word of the vandalism Wednesday afternoon. A teacher on campus had sent him images of the racist graffiti.

“A lot of people say we have a black president, racism is over. That’s a falsehood,” Medina said. “(Racism) is something real that needs to be talked about.”

The campus was mostly deserted Wednesday. Students are off this week for Thanksgiving.

Sophomore Julissa Cuevas, 15, came across the graffiti when she arrived at school Wednesday afternoon for basketball practice. A janitor later removed the symbols.

“They’re probably going to catch them,” she said about the vandals. “We have cameras (on campus).”

Officers were called to the school to investigate, Santa Rosa police Sgt. Dave Marconi said. He said school officials also were notified about the incident.

School district officials did not return messages seeking comment Wednesday evening.

The investigation likely will be handed off to a school resource officer, Marconi said.

You can reach Staff Writer Eloísa Ruano González at 521-5458 or eloisa.gonzalez@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @eloisanews.