Montgomery County Schools Superintendent Acknowledges Mishandling of Nazi Swastika Incident

Thomas Taylor, superintendent of Montgomery County Public Schools, acknowledged that the district mishandled communication about a Nazi swastika found at Walter Johnson High School by not explicitly calling it an antisemitic symbol. In an email to Rabbi Adam Raskin of Congregation Har Shalom and other Jewish leaders, he described the oversight as a “misstep” and committed to improving the district’s response. The county, which contains about 45% of Maryland’s Jewish population, has reported a 135% increase in hate-bias incidents compared with the prior school year.

Jewish clergy warned that families were withdrawing children and demanded swift corrective action. Taylor outlined plans for mandatory compliance training, experiential learning programs, and a collaborative dialogue led by equity officer Nyah Hamlett, who previously addressed similar issues in North Carolina. The clergy replied, requesting an immediate meeting and stressing the urgency of implementing longstanding recommendations from the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington.