Updated: Teen accused of racial vandalism at Whitman High, wanting to ‘make the news’

Two other boys charged with conspiring to vandalize the school last weekend

June 16, 2020 11:57 p.m.

Montgomery County police have charged a 17-year-old boy with vandalizing Walt Whitman High School in Bethesda twice this year by spray painting racial slurs on the campus. Two other teens have been charged with conspiring to vandalize the school last weekend, along with the 17-year-old boy.

Police said in a press release that the 17-year-old “took full responsibility” for vandalism at the school this past weekend and in March. The boy “stated that he committed this racially-themed vandalism because he thought it would be fun to have something make the news given the current events occurring in the United States,” according to the press release.

The 17-year-old boy was charged with spray painting a racial slur at the high school on Saturday and on March 1.

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Another 17-year-old boy and 18-year-old Jake Foster Hoffman, of Bethesda, were charged with conspiracy for Saturday’s vandalism.

All three males are Montgomery County residents, police said. The two 17-year-old boys were not identified because they were charged as minors.

Gboyinde Onijala, a Montgomery County Public Schools spokeswoman, wrote in an email Wednesday that Hoffman is a recent Whitman graduate. She did not comment on the other two teens.

The school’s student publication, the black & white, reported that all of the teens are either current or graduated Whitman students.

Police said a resident reported on Saturday morning that “racially themed” words and an image had been spray painted at the school. Officers then went to a utility shed near the front and found a drawing of a noose, as well as a racial slur painted on the shed and the pavement.

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Principal Robert Dodd wrote to the school community in a letter on Saturday that the n-word had been spray painted on campus. The school’s staff reported the vandalism to police and covered up the graffiti, he wrote.

Police said that on Sunday, Hoffman and one of the 17-year-old boys spoke with police. That 17-year-old boy said he drew the graffiti the day before.

Police said the 17-year-old and Hoffman told them they regretted their actions and wanted to turn themselves in.

After investigating, police said, they determined a second 17-year-old boy was involved in the vandalism last weekend.

Police said Hoffman told the 17-year-old who drew the graffiti that it should be on the utility shed instead of the front of the school. The other 17-year-old, police said, told the 17-year-old who drew the graffiti to do it at the front of the school.

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Police said Saturday’s graffiti was similar to another incident on March 1, when the n-word was also spray painted at the school. Police said the 17-year-old who admitted drawing the graffiti on Saturday told them he also drew the graffiti at the school earlier this year.

Police said the 17-year-old boy who drew the graffiti was charged with two counts of destruction of property and released to his parent. The other 17-year-old boy was charged with conspiracy to commit destruction of property and released to his parent.

Hoffman was charged with conspiracy to commit destruction of property.

Information about when Hoffman will appear in court or who his attorney is was not listed Tuesday evening in the state’s court database.
Dan Schere can be reached at daniel.schere@bethesdsamagazine.com

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