BETHESDA, Md. —
A swastika was found inside a bathroom of an elementary school in Montgomery County on Tuesday.
A fifth-grader found the graffiti along with a curse word in a bathroom stall at Bannockburn Elementary School in Bethesda, according to a letter sent out by the school's principal, Kate Bradley.
Bradley said the school removed the graffiti but does not know how many students saw it beforehand.
"This behavior does not reflect the values of our school and will not be tolerated," Bradley said.
The school now plans to have students sign out to use the bathroom to prevent the incident from happening again.
Read the principal's full statement below:
Dear Parents and Guardians:
I am writing to inform you of an incident at our school and how we are addressing it. Yesterday morning a 5th grade patrol found graffiti inside the boys bathroom stall in the 4th and 5th grade Green Hallway. The graffiti included a curse word and a swastika. While the graffiti has been removed, we do not know how many students may have viewed it.
This behavior does not reflect the values of our school and will not be tolerated. We are committed to providing a welcoming learning environment for our students. In response to this incident, we are having students sign out to use the bathroom and checking the bathroom every hour to prevent this from occurring again. Ms. Castellano and our teachers will continue lessons on our Character Cat traits of kindness, empathy, and respect. Our entire staff is committed to promoting positive behaviors that we expect from our student body and community.
Please do not hesitate to contact me with questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Kate Bradley
Principal
Bannockburn ES
The Montgomery County Police Department tells WUSA9 they have not taken a report on the incident. This is a developing story.