FREDERICK COUNTY, Md. — The Frederick County Sheriff's Office announced Thursday that three eighth-grade students at Middletown Middle School are facing hate crime charges for posting racist threats against Black classmates. The three students are being charged as juveniles.
Lt. Jason Deater, the SRO commander for FCSO, said in a news conference that deputies and school resource officers responded around 9 a.m. Wednesday to reports by a parent about threats posted on Instagram and Snapchat directed "specifically" against Black students at the middle school in Middletown, Md.
Deater said four photos circulated on social media showing the three students charged holding weapons. The posts included "racist remarks," an FSCO statement said.
Two of the firearms in the photo were determined by investigators to be fake, Deater said. Investigators searched the bedrooms of the three students facing charges and found a handgun in one of the student’s bedrooms.
The student who was found to have the handgun faces an additional charge as a juvenile for underage possession of a firearm, Deater said. Investigators did not indicate how many firearms — real or fake — were in the four photos.
The photos raised to the level of hate crime charges, Deater explained, because the posts were "threatening assault against the African American community."
Melissa Perez, a parent of three children at Middletown Middle, told WUSA9 she saw the photos. She said boys were posing with guns in the pictures, with captions that threatened to shoot Black people. The posts included racist slurs.
Eric Louérs-Phillips, the executive director of public affairs for Frederick County Public Schools, told reporters Thursday the threats and hate speech against Black students "is unacceptable."
According to Louérs-Phillips, the three eighth-grade students connected to the photos were not on school premises on Thursday. This does not mean they have been “barred” by school grounds, but Louérs-Phillips said FCPS will issue consequences to the students once the investigation concludes. What the consequences will be will not be shared with the public because the students are minors.
After police reported to the school Wednesday, deputies worked with school administrators to identify "multiple suspects" in connection to the photos.
The school was not evacuated nor put on lockdown during the day because investigators determined there was "no imminent threat of physical harm."
Yanira Gordon, president of Middletown Middle School Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA), told WUSA9 her eighth-grade daughter was in the school when police came and detained the boys.
"She was terrified [on Wednesday]," she said. "Unfortunately the image was released ... after the kids were in school so the boys in the photo were in the school."
FCPS released a statement about the investigation that said the middle school "recognize[s] the harm done by the hateful speech directed toward Black students."
"It is unacceptable and will be fully investigated with appropriate school discipline and criminal implications," the FCPS statement says. "We know that due to the nature of this threat, students and their families may not feel safe."
Frederick County Sheriff Chuck Jenkins told reporters Wednesday that investigators do not believe there are any more threats to the community. He reiterated that the three eighth-grade students involved "will face some serious consequences."
Jenkins said threats like this will not be tolerated and he urged the Middletown community not to let this divide them.
According to Jenkins, students and parents have been posting disinformation about the posts online and he asked them to refrain from this activity and to not post the names of any students rumored to be involved. Deater reiterated that when the racist photos are repeatedly shared on social media it “retraumatizes” individuals.
On a personal level, Deater said when he saw the four posts it “shocked the conscience.”
According to Deater, “no specific students [were] named” in the threatening social media posts. However, Louérs-Phillips said the posts essentially targeted “every Black student.”
Louérs-Phillips said some families have asked to move to virtual learning because of the threats.
FCPS says a support team was sent Wednesday afternoon to Middletown to provide social and emotional help to students and staff. The school district said it has "no tolerance for discriminatory language and hate speech."
"We take any potential threat to school safety and hate speech, even rumors and offhand comments, seriously," the FCPS statement says. "The physical, social and emotional safety of all members of the FCPS community is our most important responsibility."
According to FSCO, a criminal investigation into the matter is ongoing. Investigators have interviewed students, parents, guardians – all of whom have been cooperative. Deater said there are still more students to interview. Investigators are not considering charges against parents at this time.
The three eighth-grade students provided their cell phones, with parental consent, to investigators at the request of deputies. The deputies "forensically downloaded the phones" and the contents are under investigation.
Deater says the racist photos were taken by someone in January and February and only later shared the photos to social media. Investigators are looking into what prompted the resharing.
The FSCO said it is working with Frederick County's State's Attorney's Office Juvenile Division.
Deater, who has been with the sheriff’s office for around 20 years, noted the significance of the hate crime charges.
“It's a significant charge,” he told reporters. “I've only seen a hate crime been charged one or two times."
If more charges are warranted, Deater said those would be pursued in consultation with the state’s attorney’s office. He does not know if the charges could qualify for federal hate crimes charges, but the sheriff’s office consults federal partners when appropriate.
Investigators are asking any Middletown student who received a threatening photo to contact FCSO SRO Deputy First Class Andy Smothers at 301-600-7138 or ASmothers@frederickcountymd.gov.
“We are not releasing the juvenile’s names who are involved but can confirm if someone comes forward stating they received the photo," Deater said in a statement. “We understand that people shared the photos numerous times and a photo(s) received from a person not directly involved does not need to be reported."
Anyone with general information about this incident can call the FSCO at 301-600-1046 and reference case #22-025423.
Jenkins told reporters he’d like to see the Frederick County School Board make a policy that bans cell phone use in classes. He also called on parents to monitor how their students are using technology and to take it away from them if it’s being used inappropriately.
Louérs-Phillips said that while the school has policies against hate speech, educating the community will be essential. He noted that the three students are a small part of the community, but it will be important to support students and staff who are hurting.
Gordon, who — in addition to serving as president of the PTSA — also serves as a substitute for the school said that student behavior has worsened since the pandemic.
The PTSA is holding a rally Friday at 7:15 a.m. outside Middletown Middle School to stand against racism and violence. Participants were asked to wear purple in solidarity.
Jenkins told reporters he will be attending the rally.
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