Crime & Safety

Three Malverne Students Suspected in Graffiti Incident

Schools chief says district is handling the matter internally.

The discovered on the grounds last week is believed to be the handiwork of three students.

Surveillance cameras located on the property were "helpful" in identifying the suspects allegedly responsible for the vandalism reported on June 12 at the high school's new sports complex and the building itself, according to Superintendent James Hunderfund.

However, Dr. Hunderfund could not reveal the names of the three students.

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"The law requires us to handle things according to the rights of individual students," he told Patch Monday. "We've complied with the law by reporting the incident to police, but we are constrained from reporting the names of students."

Both Malverne and Nassau County Police were called in to investigate the vandalism discovered last Tuesday morning by members of the district's facilities staff.

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"We did give the police what we could," Dr. Hunderfund said, adding that right now, the district is "dealing with [the students] internally" through superintendent hearings.

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The district's policy on this matter does require them to seek remuneration for the damage that was caused by the graffiti, which was spray-painted on the track that surrounds the newly installed turf field, the new press box, soccer field, the back wall of the high school building itself, a small pump house nearby and some vehicles.

"We process to the extent of the law to recover damages and to bill the parties who are responsible," Hunderfund told the public at the June 12 Board of Education meeting in response to a resident's inquiry. "Every effort will be made to recoup any loss of property damage or repairs from the people who are convicted of the crime."

The graffiti included obscene messages, mostly targeting members of the high school administration, according to school officials. Although maintenance crews got to work as soon as possible last Tuesday to remove the graffiti, scrubbing it with cleaners and washing it with steam, Hunderfund said the district is "still working on it."

"We're trying to do the best restoration job possible," he said. "Right now, we're just making sure it's not visible but down the road we may have to do some more work to put it in tip top shape."


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