Palo Alto police are investigating racist graffiti left on a sign at an elementary school as a possible hate crime.
The Palo Alto Police Department said an unidentified suspect wrote "a racial epithet directed at Black people" on a sign at El Carmelo Elementary School, while also crossing out a cartoon image featuring two children of color on the same sign.
El Carmelo staff removed the sign as soon as they saw it, calling police on Monday afternoon. The responding officers learned the sign was vandalized during the preceding weekend.
"Our school is committed to creating a safe and welcoming environment for all our students," El Carmelo Principal Aleyda Barrera-Cruz wrote this week in an email to parents, which was obtained by Palo Alto Weekly. "We believe that diversity, equity and inclusion are at the core of the work that we do for our students and we are proud of it."
Barrera-Cruz said in the email that school, Palo Alto Unified School District officials and police are investigating the vandalism. Police said no similar incidents have been reported at other Palo Alto schools.
The department said in a release that anyone with information can call its 24-hour dispatch at 650-329-2413, text or leave a voicemail with 650-383-8984.