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Racist Graffiti Mars Meadows Elementary Playground

Jul 21, 2022 05:38PM ● By Jeanne Fratello
Racist graffiti appeared overnight on Wednesday night at Meadows Elementary School in Manhattan Beach, marring the playground asphalt and sports courts. District officials have removed the images and condemned the act.

The vandals appeared to have sprayed the graffiti overnight, said Manhattan Beach Unified District spokesperson Hibah Samad. According to Samad, school staff members discovered the graffiti on Thursday morning and immediately notified the school administration and the Manhattan Beach Police Department.

The graffiti included a Nazi swastika, racist hate speech, and vulgar images painted onto the playground asphalt, across sports courts and other playground features, and on playground equipment. In addition, there was property damage to a storage container located on the playground, Samad added.

The facilities team immediately removed the graffiti, she said.

"We are working with the Manhattan Beach Police Department as they conduct their investigation to make sure that we do everything possible to identify and hold accountable anyone who had any part in this incident," said Samad. "Hate and any form of discrimination have no place in our community or our schools. Our district prides itself in our 'Inclusion Stand Up Commitment' and we are committed to ensuring that all of our students and families are valued, cared for, and supported.  We will not tolerate any form of hatred and we are taking this incident very seriously."

The incident took place one day after L.A. County leaders handed the deed to the beachfront Bruce's Beach property over to the Bruce family descendants, an issue that has brought up painful racial tensions in Manhattan Beach. 

Also in the past year, the Manhattan Beach schools have grappled with incidents (in February 2022 and in June 2021) of anti-Semitic graffiti at Mira Costa High School.

Furthermore, American Martyrs Catholic Church was vandalized with anti-Catholic graffiti in October 2021.

MBUSD's Inclusion Stand Up Commitment, which affirms the right for all students to feel safe at Manhattan Beach schools, can be seen here.


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