A Nazi flag was discovered on a flag pole at Riverside Elementary School early Saturday.

Crews working construction at the building discovered the flag at 7 a.m. and alerted Lakeview School District employees, who then contacted the Battle Creek Police Department.

"The flag represents beliefs that in no way reflect our values as a district," Lakeview Schools Superintendent Blake Prewitt said in a statement. "It is disturbing that an individual would use school grounds as a platform to promote such ideals."

The lock that had been used for the flag pole appears to have been damaged. A district spokesperson said it has since been replaced.

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Because the construction crew had worked until 8 p.m. on Friday, the flag appears to have been raised overnight. The school is surrounded by Riverside Park, which is publicly accessible and open until dusk.

There isn't any surveillance footage because security cameras that are being installed at the school are not functioning yet.

Because the raised Nazi flag doesn't appear to have been targeting any specific group or individual, it does not qualify as a hate crime, Battle Creek police said, but because an American flag was removed, it does fall under malicious damage of property or vandalism.

"We're aware of it," said Sgt. Chris Rabbitt of the Battle Creek Police Department. "We've been communicating with Lakeview School administration, keeping an eye on that or anything suspicious... It's more shock value than anything. Not something we want to see in our community. It's distasteful to say the least."

Nick Buckley can be reached at nbuckley@battlecreekenquirer.com or 269-966-0652. Follow him on Twitter:@NickJBuckley