Racist signs placed outside Dallas elementary school

DALLAS - Signs of support have now replaced anti-immigration signs that were found outside a Dallas ISD elementary school over the weekend.

Several racially-charged signs with derogatory phrases were found Saturday at Foster Elementary School, a campus that is 98 percent Hispanic.

Parents say they’re used to this kind of political backlash, but to put the message outside an elementary school is disgusting. Many believe the placement of the signs was strategic.

Community members were out on a walk Saturday when they discovered the anti-immigration signs. Word then got around to Principal Zach Hall, who contacted Dallas ISD officials and asked for increased patrol by district police.

“There's been a lot of anxiety in our community, particularly our immigrant community,” the principal said.

Hall says some of his students worry that their mom or dad might not be there when they get home from school.

“Many schools and community groups have been working with parents on emergency packets that they have to make in case their son or daughter gets home and their parent gets deported,” he explained.

“The people that placed these signs here did it with the intention of trying to target the most vulnerable people,” said Dallas ISD Trustee Miguel Solis.

But parents are not letting whoever made these signs get the last word.

Signs of support filled the entrance to the school Monday morning.

Mayra Perez has a kindergartener and first grader at Foster. Her sign read, "Love not hate is what makes America great."

“I think that was the perfect way to answer back to that atrocity that we saw,” she said.

“We've got to come together as a community,” Hall said. “And we've got to embrace our kids and love them and help bring that anxiety level down.”

Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings also tweeted about the signs, calling it a disgrace. The district says it does not have video surveillance showing someone placing the signs outside but has increased patrol around the school.