MARBLEHEAD — A 15-year-old male Marblehead High School student was charged with two counts of vandalism to property, tagging property, and a civil rights violation, following an investigation into hateful graffiti found on school property.
On Monday and Tuesday, Marblehead Police were made aware of graffiti that included a racial slur and antisemitic symbols on Marblehead High School property.
School Resource Officer Sean Sweeney Jr. led an investigation that identified the student believed to be responsible for both incidents. It does not appear that anyone else was involved.
“The cooperation between the School and Police Department makes a great difference when dealing with this type of abhorrent behavior. We could not have identified a suspect so quickly without such a strong relationship,” said Police Chief Dennis King. “There is no place in Marblehead for hate of any kind, especially in our schools, and we are taking this incident very seriously.”
Police determined that there was no threat to the safety of staff or students.
The Marblehead Police Department notified the Anti-Defamation League and local community leaders to help prepare for any follow-up actions that may be needed as a town.
The male student is scheduled to appear in Lynn Juvenile Court at a future date.
