The York Regional Police Hate Crime Unit is investigating an incident in which the St. Paul Catholic Elementary School in Newmarket was vandalized with hate-motivated graffiti on Jan. 27.

York Regional Police reported that the graffiti included anti-Semitic and anti-black messages and images.

A second York Region school, Newmarket’s Sacred Heart Catholic High School, was later found to have also been defaced with hate-motivated graffiti.

The graffiti at St. Paul Catholic Elementary School included the word “Nazis” plus several swastikas.

“For me, personally, I’m shocked and horrified by such images and it goes against everything we stand for as a Catholic school board,” said York Catholic District School Board communications manager Mariann Gordon. “We have the values of equity, inclusion, and respect for people as a human being and all our diversity. And anything like this is always shocking and disappointing.”

Investigators are asking any witnesses or anyone with information or video footage to come forward.