News Releases

Multiple Rewards Offered in Walt Whitman Hate Bias Investigation

For Immediate Release: Friday, January 30, 2026

Gaithersburg, MD — Detectives with the Montgomery County Department of Police continue to investigate a hate/bias incident involving graffiti at Walt Whitman High School in Bethesda and are asking for the public’s assistance in identifying those responsible.

On Friday, January 16, 2026, an officer assigned to the school was notified that graffiti had been spray-painted on the exterior of the school building. The messages were directed at the Muslim community and included anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian language.

Following the incident, the Victims’ Rights Foundation announced it is offering a $2,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and prosecution of any suspect or suspects. The Muslim Public Affairs Council’s First Amendment Center is also offering an additional $3,000 reward to help identify and locate those involved.

Surveillance footage from the area shows several suspects running away from the school toward the football field at approximately 2:31 a.m. No suspect descriptions are available at this time.

Anyone with information about this crime or the identity of the suspects is asked to visit Crime Solvers of Montgomery County, MD at www.crimesolversmcmd.org and click the “www.p3tips.com” link at the top of the page, or call 1-866-411-8477. Tips may remain anonymous, and information leading to an arrest may be eligible for a reward ranging from $250 up to $10,000.

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Release ID: 26-046
Media Contact: S.D. Goff 
Categories: crime-solvers , hate-crime , vandalism