Officials decry swastika in snow
Police said a student drew Nazi and phallic symbols at Howard High School
Howard County school and government officials denounced an incident this past week in which police said a student was involved in drawing a swastika and a phallic symbol in the snow at Howard High School.
“This hateful act goes against the values we share at Howard High School and will not be tolerated,” wrote Howard Principal Nick Novak in a letter to the school community.
County Executive Calvin Ball also spoke on the incident, saying in a statement he was “saddened and disappointed” by it.
“Howard County should be a community of diversity, inclusion, and respect,”
Ball said. “We cannot allow hateful acts to intimidate and divide us.”
School staff discovered the drawings in the snow on the field hockey field Tuesday and brushed the images away with a broom, according to school and police officials.
A police spokeswoman said a student allegedly involved in the incident was identified by the school system, and while the department tracks all reports of hate-bias incidents, there was “not a chargeable criminal offense” in this case.
No property was damaged.
School officials said they would address the incident through the system’s disciplinary procedures.
“While this may not officially be considered a crime, we strongly condemn this act of hate and will hold the responsible person accountable to the extent permitted by our discipline policy,” said Mavis Ellis, chair of the county Board of Education, and Michael J.
Martirano, superintendent, in a statement.
They urged parents to engage children in conversations about “acceptance of all people” and “practicing civility.”
“We are seeing a disturbing trend in Howard County, and across the country, of messages and actions being instigated on various groups of people for no other reason than hate or ignorance of the impact it may have,” wrote Ellis and Martirano.
“These acts are not a ‘prank’ or ‘joke,’ and [the school system] will continue to work closely with [police] to hold those who commit these acts responsible to the full extent permitted by law and system policy,” they said.
Reports of hate-related vandalism in schools across Maryland have been on the rise in recent years. They nearly doubled to 62 in 2017, from 34 the year before, according to State Police records.
In Howard County, four seniors at Glenelg High School were charged with hate crimes after they allegedly spraypainted a racial epithet targeting Glenelg’s principal, who is black, “KKK” and swastikas on the school’s sidewalks, exterior walls and parking lot in May last year. crentz@baltsun.com
“This hateful act goes against the values we share at Howard High School and will not be tolerated,” wrote Howard Principal Nick Novak in a letter to the school community.
County Executive Calvin Ball also spoke on the incident, saying in a statement he was “saddened and disappointed” by it.
“Howard County should be a community of diversity, inclusion, and respect,”
Ball said. “We cannot allow hateful acts to intimidate and divide us.”
School staff discovered the drawings in the snow on the field hockey field Tuesday and brushed the images away with a broom, according to school and police officials.
A police spokeswoman said a student allegedly involved in the incident was identified by the school system, and while the department tracks all reports of hate-bias incidents, there was “not a chargeable criminal offense” in this case.
No property was damaged.
School officials said they would address the incident through the system’s disciplinary procedures.
“While this may not officially be considered a crime, we strongly condemn this act of hate and will hold the responsible person accountable to the extent permitted by our discipline policy,” said Mavis Ellis, chair of the county Board of Education, and Michael J.
Martirano, superintendent, in a statement.
They urged parents to engage children in conversations about “acceptance of all people” and “practicing civility.”
“We are seeing a disturbing trend in Howard County, and across the country, of messages and actions being instigated on various groups of people for no other reason than hate or ignorance of the impact it may have,” wrote Ellis and Martirano.
“These acts are not a ‘prank’ or ‘joke,’ and [the school system] will continue to work closely with [police] to hold those who commit these acts responsible to the full extent permitted by law and system policy,” they said.
Reports of hate-related vandalism in schools across Maryland have been on the rise in recent years. They nearly doubled to 62 in 2017, from 34 the year before, according to State Police records.
In Howard County, four seniors at Glenelg High School were charged with hate crimes after they allegedly spraypainted a racial epithet targeting Glenelg’s principal, who is black, “KKK” and swastikas on the school’s sidewalks, exterior walls and parking lot in May last year. crentz@baltsun.com
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