Arlington County police are investigating “extensive” graffiti, including a racist word, on the roof of Dorothy Hamm Middle School.
Families were informed of the vandalism via email yesterday.
The principal of the school in the Cherrydale neighborhood, at 4100 Vacation Lane, noted that “the students involved have been identified.” There’s no immediate word on potential disciplinary actions. The email is below.
Dear Dorothy Hamm Families,
I am writing to inform you about an incident involving vandalism on the school’s roof that occurred over the weekend that included a racist term.
We immediately reported the vandalism to the APS Department of Safety, Security and Emergency Management and the Arlington County Police Department (ACPD). The students involved have been identified and the investigation by the ACPD is ongoing. The families of the students involved have been notified.
While the graffiti damage is extensive, there is no evidence of additional vandalism or other suspicious activity at the school.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the office.
Sincerely,
Ellen Smith,
Principal
The school, formerly Stratford Junior High School, has a notable history as the first Arlington public school to be integrated, in 1959.
It was renovated and expanded a few years ago, converted to a middle school, and renamed after a prominent Arlington civil rights figure who led the local school desegregation effort.