Sellwood Middle School Tagged With Racist Graffiti Over Spring Break

“I want to reiterate: Hate is not tolerated at Sellwood,” the school’s principal wrote in an email to families.

The view north from the Sellwood Bridge at dawn. (Vikesh Kapoor)
By Joanna Hou

On Thursday, someone tagged Sellwood Middle School in Southeast Portland with “racist and offensive” graffiti, principal Jeandre Carbone wrote in an email to families.

The graffiti on the exterior of the building was immediately removed, Carbone wrote. Since it was spring break, it’s unclear whether any students were exposed to the language on the building. The email did not detail what had been written.

In the email, Carbone wrote that the graffiti was “completely at odds” with what the middle school community stands for.

“I want to reiterate: Hate is not tolerated at Sellwood,” she wrote. “We will continue to nurture a culture of care in which every student is seen and heard, and we will continue to focus on racial equity and social justice in our school community and classes.”

Portland Public Schools spokespeople said they had no additional information on the incident.

Reports of bias crimes have risen sharply in Oregon over the past several years, although some of that increase has been attributed to better reporting systems.

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