rights
Suspects arrested for burning school's Pride flag as hate crimes skyrocket
By Molly Sprayregen at LGBTQ Nation
· June 19, 2026
· 3 min read
Two Ontario teens have been charged with mischief after allegedly tearing down a secondary school flag and setting it on fire. The act, which is being investigated as a hate crime, took place in the city of Markham around 11 pm on June 8. York Regional Police have identified Sepehr Abadar and Mahan
Key takeaway York Regional Police have identified Sepehr Abadar and Mahan Mohammad Radmard, both 18, as the alleged perpetrators.
Why this matters
Local news anchors readers in their community — the people, places, and decisions that shape day-to-day life. LGBTQ News covers these stories because national outlets often won't.
About this story
Original reporting by LGBTQ Nation . LGBTQ News surfaces reporting from trusted publishers and adds local editorial context so readers can quickly understand what a story means for their community. We attribute every source, link to the original report, and follow a documented editorial standards policy. To understand how stories are selected and reviewed, read our about page .
For the complete original report, visit LGBTQ Nation . Have a tip or correction? Contact our newsroom .
Category: rights ·
Published: June 19, 2026 ·
Source: LGBTQ Nation ·
Reading time: 3 min
Get more LGBTQ News stories like this
Free weekly briefing covering rights and other local news. Curated by our editorial team. No spam.
By subscribing you agree to our privacy policy . Unsubscribe anytime.
Frequently asked about this story
What is this story about? Two Ontario teens have been charged with mischief after allegedly tearing down a secondary school flag and setting it on fire. The act, which is being investigated as a hate crime, took place in the city of Markham around 11 pm on June 8. York Regional Police have identified Sepehr Abadar and Mahan
When was this published? This article was first published on June 19, 2026 by LGBTQ Nation and curated for LGBTQ News readers.
Who reported this story? This story was reported by Molly Sprayregen at LGBTQ Nation. To learn more about how LGBTQ News selects and reviews stories, see our editorial standards .
Where can I find related coverage? See more rights coverage from LGBTQ News, or browse our daily briefing and topic hubs .