Columbia High School Principal Frank Sanchez is reporting that he notified Maplewood Police about antisemitic graffiti — including the drawing of a swastika along with the words “F— Kikes” on a bathroom wall in the D wing of the school — on the day that he became aware of it.
The graffiti was documented by a student on November 12 and their parent emailed Sanchez that day, said Sanchez. But, because he was out several days that week and because he receives a large volume of emails, he did not see or open the email until November 18.
It’s a situation that South Orange-Maplewood School District Communications Director Eshaya Draper said should improve in the new year with the introduction of the SAFENJ pilot program powered by STOPit Solutions — which includes an app that will allow real time reporting of such incidents and will be monitored around the clock.
“I explained in my incident report to central office is that we had a parent email nearly a week before and I didn’t open that email until the 18th,” said Sanchez in an interview with Village Green. “In that week I was absent twice, we had the weekend in there as well, and we had a professional day.”
Once he saw the email, Sanchez said that he inspected all the CHS bathrooms and found some additional graffiti that contained the words “Free Palestine” and some words in Hebrew that he also reported to police.
Sanchez said that a group of local rabbis he works with provided a translation, saying it was a verse from the Torah where Moses calls out to God when he sees Miriam suffering, asking God to heal her. Sanchez said the rabbis thought it might have been written by a Jewish student “but reappropriating it.”
Sanchez said that he meets with a group of rabbis and Jewish parents on a monthly or bimonthly basis. He said he also contacted the Anti-Defamation League and gave them information on the incident.
Sanchez said that there is no Board policy mandating that such incidents be reported to the full school community.
He said that last year when a swastika was found on calculator in a math class, “We contacted the people in that class. … We had an investigation. … We contacted our Jewish community group [which consists of 3 rabbis and 5 parents]. … They report back to scores of Jewish parents in the towns.”
“We’re not hiding anything,” said Sanchez. “That’s why I brought it up after the massacre in Australia.”
The latest antisemitic graffiti came to light when Sanchez mentioned it in a letter to CHS families following the Bondi Beach shootings targeting the Jewish community and murdering 15 at a Hanukkah celebration in Sydney, Australia.
“The attack at Bondi Beach, which targeted people gathered in celebration, is another stark reminder that hatred and violence continue to threaten communities worldwide,” Sanchez wrote on December 14. “Let me be unequivocal: there is no place for violence, antisemitism, or hate of any kind—anywhere, ever. To our Jewish students, faculty, and families: you are seen, you are valued, and you belong. Acts of hatred against one community are acts against us all. I ask all students at Columbia to remember that we must stand together firmly against antisemitism and against every form of bigotry that seeks to divide or dehumanize our classmates and faculty members.”
Sanchez continued: “Our commitment must be to create space where every student feels safe, respected, and heard—even when we disagree, even when the world around us is fractured by conflict.”
Sanchez also noted, “We are working with the [JCC] Metrowest to bring in an anti-hate program here. They funded a trip to the Holocaust Museum last week for over 30 of our students (which I attended), and we spoke further for future programming. https://photos.
A spokesperson for the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office said that they received the Maplewood Police report regarding the recent CHS graffiti on December 17 and will provide an update when they have a chance to review the report.
Read the Maplewood Police release regarding the incident, sent on December 18, attached below.
SAFENJ Pilot Program
Draper said that the district would be introducing the SAFENJ Pilot Program in January, allowing students and parents to anonymously report incidents and have them reviewed in real time.
“I previously implemented with STOPit when I was down in Lawrenceville and it really helped for those moments when we want students to ‘see something, say something.’ Then it’s monitored on the back end by both a crisis interventionalist on their professional 24 hour side but then district staff can…”
Sanchez jumped in, “It sends a text, it’s not just an email. It’s real time. That’s going be something that we really promote and talk about.”
Draper noted that SOMSD Director of School and Community Safety Paul Morgan “is a proponent of that. He’s really harping on that active, swifter response so that the school administrators and he will both be able to instantly see when something is communicated to them and that will help greatly, rather than it just being in one inbox.”
Draper said of Morgan, “He’s been teleporting across the district since he started and he’s really getting a strong lay of the land and he’s really encouraging and imploring our school administrators to contact him with issues.”
Sanchez noted that he contacted Morgan simultaneously with police regrading the recent graffiti.
Draper said that Morgan has “been an important addition and he’s taking an active stance and making sure that our student conduct and discipline is really conducive to a learning environment that allows students to truly thrive in the schools.”
From the Maplewood Police Department on December 18, 2025:
To All Media:
On 11/18/2025, Maplewood Police Department responded to Columbia High School, located at 17 Parker Ave on a report of past tense Graffiti located inside one of the school’s bathrooms. The caller, Principal Frank Sanchez reported that on 11/12/2025 a parent electronically sent a photograph of graffiti to school counselors. The graffiti was written in black marker stating, “Free Palestine from Occupation and Free Israel from Sickness of Mind”. Mr. Sanchez also reported that also on 11/12/2025, a student reported graffiti of a swastika, a penis, and the words “F— Kikes”, written in black marker located inside of boys D Wing bathroom. Mr. Sanchez reported that all graffiti was painted over prior to notification to Maplewood PD but that a photograph was taken. At this time there is no specific time frame of when the graffiti may have been done. A SARS report was completed and ECPO SVU Unit was later notified of the incident.
