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Wheaton College rocked by yet another swastika on Norton campus

Wheaton College, a top liberal arts college, sits in the quiet town of Norton.

The tranquil campus rocked this fall when a swastika was discovered in October, on the door of a Jewish student.

“I came here because it was so accepting of all people and then this turns up. It was really eye-opening," said Phoebe Nerone, a first-year student.

The school and its president denounced the act. Police and the Anti-Defamation League were notified.

Then, it happened again. A second swastika found two weeks later.

“I think everyone on campus wants this to stop. No one thinks this is a good idea or it’s something someone should be doing. I think we all just want it to stop," said sophomore Billy Conte.

And it did end for a month, until Dec. 2, when a third swastika was found drawn in the snow.

Parents find it troubling.

“I hadn’t heard about the third time. It’s frightening. And I hope they find the person and the person gets punished, said parent Susan Chamberlin.

As students take their finals and prepare to head home for winter break, Wheaton’s president sent an e-mail, which says in part:

“A swastika was found drawn in the snow on a sign near the Dimple. This is the third such incident this semester. I cannot stress this enough: anti-Semitism, bigotry and other forms of hatred have no place on the Wheaton campus.”

Students like Phoebe agreed, and they told Boston 25 if the person doing this thinks it's funny, it's not.

“Now it’s like the third one and I feel like, I think the person doing it is trying to get a rise out of everybody and doing a joke that’s gone too far,” she said.



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