Three Maryland middle school students were charged with hate crime violations last week for displaying swastikas, making Nazi salutes, and directing offensive comments toward a classmate for the classmate's religious beliefs, according to a release from Calvert County State's Attorney's Office.
The 13-year-old students were charged as juveniles with harassment and violations of Maryland's hate crime statutes.
The release said the behavior began last December and continued over several months despite requests to stop. The victim reported the incidents to Maryland State Police officers, who investigated and filed the charges against the juveniles.
The charges will be forwarded to the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services.
Due to the nature of juvenile involvement there is little information the State's Attorney's Office could provide about the case.
School system: "the civil rights of all individuals will be protected"
In the release, Calvert County State’s Attorney 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. 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.”
In a statement to the Post, Calvert County Public Schools said they are committed to providing students and staff with an "environment that is safe, welcoming, and free from all forms of discrimination. The civil rights of all individuals will be protected."
"All complaints are investigated promptly. Upon completion of an investigation, students and school personnel may be subject to disciplinary action or consequences for discriminatory behaviors," the district said. "Student violations of school policies are handled as per the Calvert County Board of Education's adopted Student Code of Conduct. We continue to work collaboratively with the Calvert County Sheriff's Office."
In a Tuesday post on X, The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington said it is deeply disturbed by the antisemitic behavior of students at Plum Point Middle School in Huntingtown, Maryland.
"These hateful actions have no place in our school system – or anywhere in our community – and we stand with the students impacted and their families.
In response to this incident and the drastic rise in antisemitism over the past months, we call on schools, parents, and communities to educate their children about antisemitism and the ramifications of hate. The Federation is continuing to combat antisemitism alongside leaders and partners throughout Greater Washington," the Federation said. "We are committed to increasing education on antisemitism, empowering community members, and improving communal security with the goal of strengthening the Greater Washington community."