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WATCH: Antigay Graffiti at Fla. School Ruled Not a Hate Crime
WATCH: Antigay Graffiti at Fla. School Ruled Not a Hate Crime
Administrators called police when they found antigay slurs and graffiti spray painted inside the Catholic school.
A high school rivalry is suspected as a possible motive for antigay vandalism at a South Florida Catholic high school that was caught on tape. A spokesperson for the Davie, Fla. police told Miami TV station WTVJ that detectives are not investigating this as a hate crime.
Slurs, hateful images and other spray painted messages were discovered Monday morning on the walls inside Archbishop Edward A. McCarthy High School in Southwest Ranches, Fla.
A spokeswoman for the Archdiocese of Miami told Miami TV station WPLG that a school administrator found the graffiti before students arrived for the start of classes. A check of surveillance video showed cameras captured two vandals wearing masks had scaled a fence at the adjacent church, and got inside about 9:30 p.m. Sunday, according to a school official.
"Archbishop McCarthy's administration team is fully cooperating with the police investigation by providing documentation of the damage via photos, video and security videos," spokeswoman Mary Ross Agosta said in a statement. "The graffiti has been removed and classes began on their regular schedules."
WPLG reported the vandals were on the property for about 35 minutes, spray painting inside the school.
Students told reporters they believe the vandalism was an act of revenge after a recent basketball victory over Miami Garden's Monsignor Edward Pace High School. WTVJ reported police are looking into the rival school.
Anyone with information is asked to call Broward County Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS.
Watch a report from WTVJ about the vandalism below.
