A Nova Scotia school that was tagged with racist graffiti is closed as police investigate alleged threats against the school.
The Strait Regional School Board sent a notice to parents and guardians Tuesday evening, informing them of a possible threat to the East Antigonish Education Centre/Academy in Monastery, N.S.
The RCMP confirms it is investigating after it was shared on social media that someone was heard making verbal threats towards the school.
"The individual posted on Facebook that they had heard someone make a threat towards the school, so as a result of that, in consultation with the Strait Regional School Board, a decision was made to keep the students at home," said Cpl. Dal Hutchinson of Nova Scotia RCMP.
Parents say the incident is unsettling.
"It's scary. It's too close to home. You see things like this on the news in the states, and it's unacceptable," said parent Lynn Lafford.
"These are not acceptable and I don't believe it's a part of who we are,” says parent Ford Rice. “It's not a part of who the greater community is."
The closure comes a day after racist graffiti was found at the school, as well as on a school bus and a sign near the building.
Police believe the graffiti was painted sometime between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. Monday.
Some of the graffiti included profanity and derogatory comments about both Indigenous people and African Nova Scotians, shocking members of the small community.
Residents from the Paq'tnkek First Nation, located about 10 kilometres from the school, told CTV Atlantic that the vandalism has caused a great deal of pain in their community.
"Unfortunately it’s ignorance,” said Paq'tnkek band councilor Darlene Prosper. “I pray for the people that wrote it. Obviously something's going on with them to do such things... I guess we’re going to need some healing here.”
First Nations students who attend the school were sent home at the request of the Band Council at 11 a.m. Tuesday. Most of the graffiti had been removed or covered up by 12 p.m.
Community Chief Paul Prosper says students from Paq'tnkek will be kept home the rest of the week until the band council and school board can come up with a plan going forward.
In an interview on CTV News at 6, Prosper said this isn't the only racism kids have been dealing with.
“If you follow some of the social media posts provided by some of the youth in our community, you'll find that is does exist within not just within the school system itself, but within the larger society," he said.
Police are investigating both incidents and are trying to determine whether they are connected. School board officials say they hope to reopen the school Thursday, but there will be a police presence.
Anyone with information about either incident is asked to contact police or Crime Stoppers.
With files from CTV Atlantic's Ryan MacDonald
