Authorities in Montgomery County, Maryland, are investigating Islamophobic and anti Palestinian graffiti found on an exterior wall of Walt Whitman High School in Bethesda, an incident that has drawn strong condemnation from school officials and civil rights groups.

In a letter to the school community, Principal Gregory Miller said staff discovered the graffiti early Friday morning. The message included explicit language targeting Muslims and Palestinians, along with a Star of David symbol spray painted on the building. Miller described the act as profoundly offensive, threatening, and unacceptable, stressing that hate speech of any kind will not be tolerated at the school or anywhere in the county.

School administrators immediately alerted police and are cooperating with the investigation, including reviewing security footage and speaking with students where appropriate. Police said surveillance video shows several suspects fleeing the area toward the football field at around 2:31 a.m., though no descriptions have been confirmed so far.

While the graffiti has since been covered and is set to be removed, its appearance sparked fear and anger among Muslim and Palestinian families in the community. Zainab Chaudry, Maryland director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, condemned the message, calling it an expression of extreme cruelty, particularly given the ongoing suffering and violence faced by Pales-tinians.

Chaudry emphasized that promoting hate or violence against any group has no place in schools or society, adding that Muslim students deserve to feel safe, respected, and protected in their learning environments.