Swastikas, Hitler messages found at 2 Cobb County high schools

COBB COUNTY, Ga. - Swastikas and messages praising Adolph Hitler have appeared at two high schools this month in a large public school system in metro Atlanta, school officials said.

Someone scrawled a swastika and "Heil Hitler" on a bathroom door at Lassiter High School, school officials reported Wednesday. Similar anti-Semitic messages were found last week on a bathroom wall at nearby Pope High School, officials said.

The two schools are about 4 miles apart and both are in the Cobb County School District.

SEE MORE: Jewish students in Cobb County on edge after anti-Semitic message found in high school, Rabbi says

The acts have alarmed Jewish families and prompted Rabbi Larry Sernovitz of a local congregation to speak with students. Sernovitz told FOX 5 he got multiple frantic texts from parents when the graffiti began spreading on social media. He and other rabbis want to speak at the Sept. 23 school board meeting.

"We know that words and actions go hand-in-hand. They’re scared that something might happen here," the rabbi said. "And that’s the challenge for us right now."

"I am both angered and saddened by the appearance of symbols and words of hatred in our school and community," Lassiter Principal Chris Richie wrote in a letter to parents. "I do think it is important to first let parents know what occurred, to name it, and to let our students know that we condemn it," 

Officials are reviewing video footage, talking to students, and taking other steps to deal with the issue, he said.

The school system, one of the largest in Georgia, has "zero tolerance" for acts that harm students, groups of people, or school buildings, a spokeswoman for the school system said.

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The Associated Press contributed to this report.