3 Maryland Middle Schoolers Charged with Hate Crimes for Antisemitic Actions
The Plum Point Middle School students allegedly displayed swastikas, performed Nazi salutes, and made derogatory comments about a classmate’s religion.
3 Maryland Middle Schoolers Charged with Hate Crimes for Antisemitic Actions
HUNTINGTOWN, Md. — Three thirteen-year-olds from southern Maryland have been charged with hate crimes after they allegedly displayed swastikas, performed Nazi salutes, and made derogatory comments about a classmate’s religion.
Officials with the Calvert County State’s Attorney’s Office said the harassment started in December 2023 and the teens refused to stop despite repeated requests, ABC News reports. The victim eventually reported the incidents to the Maryland State Police, which investigated the claims and filed charges against the students.
The defendants are students at Plum Point Middle School. Their names are being withheld due to their age. They have been charged with harassment and violating the state’s hate crime statutes. The charges will be handled by the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services, which could then send the charges to the Calvert County Circuit Court for an adjudicatory hearing, the state’s attorney’s office said.
“Maryland was founded on the principle of religious toleration. It is frankly astonishing that nearly 400 years later some people continue to persecute others based upon their religion,” State’s Attorney Robert Harvey wrote in a statement. “I call upon parents, educators, and community and faith leaders to make sure that our children know that religious persecution has no place in our society.”
According to data released in January by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), U.S. antisemitic incidents skyrocketed following the Oct. 7 Hamas massacre in Israel. In the three months after the attack, there were at least 3,283 incidents. At least 505 occurred on college campuses, and another 246 were reported in K-12 schools.
Another report released by the ADL in March 2023 found antisemitic incidents in Maryland had nearly doubled over the past year. In response to the report, Maryland Governonr Wes Moore called the increase “absolutely unacceptable.”
“I want everyone in Maryland to hear me clearly — hate has no home in our state,” he wrote in a statement at the time. “I refuse to allow these alarming actions to go unnoticed.”
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About the Author
Amy Rock, Executive Editor
Amy is Campus Safety’s Executive Editor. Prior to joining the editorial team in 2017, she worked in both events and digital marketing.
Amy has many close relatives and friends who are teachers, motivating her to learn and share as much as she can about campus security. She has a minor in education and has worked with children in several capacities, further deepening her passion for keeping students safe.
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