UPDATE (Wednesday, Jan. 27, 6 p.m.): Aurora police said Wednesday afternoon that the two suspects – both juveniles – were positively identified and taken into custody. The police department said their names and booking photos will not be released because they are juveniles.
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AURORA, Colo. — A playground at Coyote Hills Elementary in Aurora was defaced by racist and sexual messages on Thursday night. According to a press release from the school, it was done by teenagers trespassing on the property.
CAN YOU HELP US ID? On 1/21 at abt 5:30p 2 susps spray painted racial slurs on Coyote Hills Elem. If you know who did this or who these susps are plz report it to @CrimeStoppersCO. We will not tolerate this in our community. Diversity is our strength and we are better together! pic.twitter.com/2LjXYS9uBs
— Aurora Police Dept 🇺🇸 (@AuroraPD) January 23, 2021
"It makes me sad more than anything," said Lisha Quintana, a parent. "It's just really sad that someone would feel the need to do that on an elementary school playground."
In a statement, school principal Hillary Pohlmann said the school is working with authorities to identify who vandalized the school. There was no confirmation as to what was written beyond that they were "racist messages and sexual images."
Denver School District board member Tay Anderson mentioned in a tweet, however, that the graffiti contained the N-word and other derogatory and racist words.
BREAKING:
— Tay Anderson (@TayAndersonCO) January 22, 2021
Coyote Hills Elementary in @CCSDK12 was vandalized with “F*ck Nigg*rs” and “F*ck BLM” this comes after affluent parents in the PTO complained that the school was “teacher too much about race.”
CCSD has yet to release a public statement.
"Any hate-motivated speech or behavior by students, staff, or anyone in our community that is physically or psychologically harmful to another person will not be tolerated," Pohlmann said in the statement. "Anyone engaging in such activity will be held accountable. Our greatest responsibility as a school district is to provide safe and welcoming schools where students of every race, ethnicity, religion, gender and sexual orientation feel valued and supported."
