Racist and homophobic graffiti found in gender-neutral bathroom at Arlington High School
ARLINGTON — Racist and homophobic graffiti was found in an Arlington High School bathroom Wednesday.
Racist and homophobic slurs were found written on a gender-neutral stall in one of the high school's bathrooms and remained visible for part of the school day on Wednesday before school officials became aware of the graffiti and removed it.
Principal Matthew Janger condemned the incident in a community-wide statement on Friday, stating that behavior of this kind is not tolerated at the school.
"Vandalism, graffiti, and degrading language are harmful to our school and community," he wrote. "As an educational community, we welcome and encourage debate and diversity of view. Bias and discrimination break down the trust that allows us to share diverse views constructively and learn with and from each other."
An attempt to remove the graffiti was allegedly made by students according to Janger's statement, and while appreciated, he encouraged students to report any incidents of bias to school officials.
"Sometimes incidents go unreported, even when they appear to be widely known," Janger wrote. "...Rapid reporting helps minimize the harm, narrows down our investigation, and helps identify folks in need of support. If we are not aware of those affected by incidents, we are not able to inform them of steps taken."
The incident was reported to the Arlington Police and Human Rights Commission and an investigation into the incident is ongoing.