ROCKVILLE, Md. — School officials are investigating after two reports of swastikas found at Thomas S. Wootton High School in Rockville.
In a letter to parents, School Principal Douglas Nelson said the hateful graffiti was found drawn on a desk and on a bathroom wall. The students who found the swastikas reported the graffiti to school leaders, who promptly took action to have it removed.
Administrators are now working to find out who is responsible and punish them accordingly.
"Events like what we experienced today are wrong," Nelson wrote. "They have absolutely no place at Wootton High School or any place in our community, as the depiction of a swastika on school furniture and property is antisemitic."
The principal calls the behavior inappropriate and unacceptable, adding that the Wootton community is already experiencing elevated concern.
"These hateful actions make us feel targeted and unsafe," Nelson said. "Discrimination in any form must not be tolerated."
Nelson says everyone at Wootton must take action in calling out hate for what it is. He is asking parents and guardians to speak with their students about standing up against hateful acts.
"It takes all of us to do this work. Please continue to do the deliberate work at home to support our work at school," he wrote.
In each case, students and staff addressed the impact of the hateful images and worked to remove the drawings before appropriate disciplinary measures were taken.
