Three 13-year old students at Plum Point Middle School in Calvert County have been charged as juveniles with harassment and violations of Maryland’s hate crimes statutes. According to charging documents, the students displayed swastikas, made Nazi salutes, and directed offensive comments to a classmate because of the classmate’s religious beliefs.
The behavior began in December, 2023, and continued over several months, despite repeated requests to stop. The victim ultimately reported the matter 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 (DJS) for appropriate action. DJS has the discretion to refer the charges to the Calvert County Circuit Court for an adjudicatory hearing, at which time the State will be required to prove the allegations beyond a reasonable doubt.
Calvert County State’s Attorney Robert Harvey issued the following statement: “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.”
