Graffiti Targeting Palestinians, Muslims Found At Montgomery County School

BETHESDA, MD — Montgomery County Public Schools and police are investigating after graffiti targeting Palestinians and Muslims was found on an outside wall of Walt Whitman High School in Bethesda.

Montgomery County police said an officer assigned to the school was notified on Friday that graffiti was spray-painted on the exterior of the school building. The messages were directed at the Muslim community and included anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian language, police said.

Surveillance footage from the area shows several suspects running away from the school toward the football field at approximately 2:31 a.m., according to police.

Principal Gregory Miller also confirmed the incident in a letter sent to the community, obtained by Bethesda Magazine.

"This morning we discovered the words, 'F*** Muslims, Nuke Palestine', with a star of David symbol graffitied on the school building," Miller said. "This profoundly offensive, threatening, anti-Palestinian and Islamophobic hate speech is completely unacceptable, hurtful, and will not be tolerated at Walt Whitman High School or any school in Montgomery County."

The graffiti was painted over as a temporary measure and will need to be professionally removed, police said.

Several incidents of hate-related vandalism have been reported at Montgomery County schools in recent years.

In December 2022, the words “Jews Not Welcome” were found defacing the school sign at Walt Whitman. Less than a month later, staff members at three schools found swastikas drawn on student desks and antisemitic graffiti on another desk at Magruder High School in Rockville.

In February 2023, racist graffiti was found near the entrance of Westbrook Elementary School in Bethesda.

Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich condemned the latest incident in a statement released on Friday.

"I am deeply disturbed by the anti-Muslim and anti-Arab graffiti discovered at Walt Whitman High School today," Elrich said. "This hateful act does not reflect who we are as a County and will not be tolerated."

Councilmember Evan Glass also called the incident "deeply disturbing and unacceptable."

"Hate targeting students and school communities is especially harmful and will not be tolerated," Glass said. "With Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day approaching, I believe this moment demands that we recommit ourselves to Dr. King’s call for justice, dignity and nonviolence, and reject hatred in all its forms."

Anyone with information regarding the identity of the suspects or the incident is should visit the Crime Solvers of Montgomery County website at www.crimesolversmcmd.org and click on the “www.p3tips.com” link at the top of the page or call 866-411-8477. Tips may remain anonymous.

Tips with information leading to an arrest may be eligible for a reward from $250 up to $10,000. The Victims’ Rights Foundation also donated an additional $2,000 for information leading to the arrest and prosecution of any suspects.