As police investigate who may have vandalized Arlington High School overnight May 2-3, some facts have come to light.

In her statement to Town Meeting, Naomi Greenfield, cochair of the Arlington Human Rights Commission, said, "There was extensive vandalism throughout the high school from what we now know is 11 individuals, many of whom were caught on exterior surveillance cameras."

Further, a heavily redacted police report describes the aftermath of the incident, with names of five witnesses blacked out. Also redacted are the homophobic slurs used in two places behind the high school, but a source has told YourArlington that the words were "f*** gays" and "f*** fags." 

The report lists five people who reported to police; all names are blacked out.

The officer who responded at 5:42 a.m. May 2  who describes the slurs also says an image [word redacted] was tagged onto a trash can next to some parking spaces and a line was painted on the sidewalk that runs parallel to the tennis courts that was several feet long. All the tags were done with spray paint, the report said. Principal Matthew Janger has said in a public statement that a swastika was found spray-painted.

'Senior prank'?

Police photographed the tags and asked a custodian to cover them. While investigating the graffiti, an officer was told about "additional destruction within the school that she believed was likely the result of a senior prank."

On the first floor, outside the Red Gym, police found other damage; the specifics were redacted.

Police walked up the staircase and found additional damage, which was redacted. 

On the second floor, in a hallway, they found possible damage and blocked access to a stairwell and the loading ramp. In this same hallway were several smashed pieces of glass. Their possible origin was redacted, but Janger's statement about the issue says, "A group of young males broke into the building and broke windows, discharged fire extinguishers, broke tables, and smeared items around. They smashed display cases in our art department."

Should suspects in this case be charged, they could face these offenses -- (266/16/A) breaking and entering in nighttime, a felony, and (266/127/A) malicious destruction of property greater than $250.

May 2, 2018: How public, principal responded after homophobic graffiti found at AHS

This news summary was published on Saturday, May 5, 2018.