Northwood High School closes all Outdoor Facilities to the Public due to Hate Speech and Antisemitic Comments

Today Principal Garrick sent out a letter to the Northwood High School community explaining that beginning this Saturday, March 4th, "all Northwood outdoor facilities will be closed to community members until further notice."

Letter from Principal Garrick:

Good afternoon Northwood community:

As you may be aware, Northwood High School has been targeted by an outside hate group through flyers containing hate speech and antisemitic comments being posted at the same locations on our athletic fields. As of March 1, 2023, there have been four separate incidents of this hate vandalism. It is a priority of the Northwood administration, Montgomery County Public Schools safety team, and our partners in Montgomery County police to identify the individual(s) committing this hate vandalism and to ensure our students, staff, and entire community feel safe in a welcoming and inclusive environment. 

As such, beginning Saturday, March 4, 2023, all Northwood outdoor facilities will be closed to  community members until further notice. This includes our athletic fields, track, tennis courts, and all other external areas of the building. Additionally, the Loxford Terrace access gate between our baseball and softball fields will remain closed. This closure does not include MCPS approved activities. 

We recognize and regret the inconvenience this causes for our surrounding community. However, the safety of our students, staff, and community must take precedence. It is our sincere hope that facilities will reopen as soon as a suspect(s) is apprehended or there is confidence the hate vandalism against our community has stopped. 

We are asking parents and guardians receiving this message to please share it with any community members without students attending Northwood who use our facilities so they are aware. This message will also be provided to feeder schools and local listservs. 

If any community members have any questions, comments, or any information regarding the recent incidents of hate vandalism, please contact school administration: 240-740-6950 or Jonathan_L_Garrick@mcpsmd.org.