A flurry of racially charged incidents at schools this fall—attributable to everything from homecoming to the polarized political climate—has caught many educators and administrators off guard.

In October, the examples were numerous: Carving a swastika into a pumpkin. Shouting racial slurs at high school football players. Wearing a prison jumpsuit with the name Freddie Gray, an African American who was killed in police custody in Baltimore, on the back.

Some of the recent incidents occurred during homecoming, which comes as students reacclimate to school and join friends at large pep rallies and football games.

Yet precise national statistics on the number of such incidents are hard to come by. Many teachers and administrators anecdotally report such incidents are on the rise, according to the Associated Press. Dan Domenech, head of the School Superintendents Association, said he believes there has been a spike this year.

"You have to be aware of it. You have to monitor it. You have to prevent it from escalating," he said.

Read the full article about the rise of hate speech in schools by Laura Fay at The 74.