Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Community Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Mercer Island City Council adopts statement condemning antisemitic graffiti at middle school
Summary
The council unanimously adopted a statement condemning recent antisemitic and racist vandalism at a Mercer Island middle school and praised police and the school district for their response.
The Mercer Island City Council unanimously adopted a statement Tuesday condemning recent hate-based vandalism at a middle school and expressing solidarity with the city's Jewish community.
Mayor Salim Nies read the statement to the record and moved adoption; Councilmember Reynolds seconded. "Antisemitism is no place here," Mayor Nies read during the statement and added the council is "grateful to our strong partnership with the Mercer Island School District and for the teachers and staff who work every day to make all the students feel welcome and safe."
The nut graf: the council's statement acknowledged the police department's ongoing investigation, thanked community members for rapid public support and urged continued unity against hate.
Council members praised community response and law enforcement
Deputy Mayor Rosenbaum and other councilmembers thanked the Mercer Island Police Department and the school district for their investigative and support work. Deputy Mayor Rosenbaum said the community's swift social-media sharing and solidarity messages demonstrated that "there is no tolerance for this sort of behavior in our community."
Council voted unanimously to adopt the statement on the night's agenda; the clerk recorded an aye vote from each councilmember present. The action was a ceremonial and formal council affirmation rather than a regulatory change. City staff and the police department continue the criminal investigation; council members encouraged residents to follow official police and school-district communications for updates.
