Md. high school won’t ‘fall victim’ to ‘okay to be white’ flyers

This image shows an individual in a hooded sweatshirt posting one of 10 fliers found at Montgomery Blair High School on Wednesday morning. The fliers stated "It's okay to be white." (Courtesy Montgomery County Public Schools)
This image shows an individual in a hooded sweatshirt posting one of 10 flyers found at Montgomery Blair High School on Wednesday morning. The flyers stated “It’s okay to be white.” (Courtesy Montgomery County Public Schools)
This image provided by Mongomery County Public Schools shows one of the fliers found at Montgomery Blair High School on Wednesday morning. School officials said they are investigating who posted the fliers. (Courtesy Montgomery County Public Schools)
This image provided by Montgomery County Public Schools shows one of the flyers found at Montgomery Blair High School on Wednesday morning. School officials said they are investigating who posted the flyers. (Courtesy Montgomery County Public Schools)
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This image shows an individual in a hooded sweatshirt posting one of 10 fliers found at Montgomery Blair High School on Wednesday morning. The fliers stated "It's okay to be white." (Courtesy Montgomery County Public Schools)
This image provided by Mongomery County Public Schools shows one of the fliers found at Montgomery Blair High School on Wednesday morning. School officials said they are investigating who posted the fliers. (Courtesy Montgomery County Public Schools)

WASHINGTON — Flyers stating “It’s OK to be white” were found at Montgomery Blair High School in Silver Spring on Wednesday morning.

In a letter sent to parents, the school’s Principal Renay Johnson writes that “Montgomery Blair is a very smart, diverse and inclusive community and we will not fall victim to attempts to divide us.”

The fliers were found on 10 exterior doors to the building by staff before students arrived, the letter states.

“We are taking this seriously and are investigating this incident,” Johnson writes.

Security footage released by the school system shows a person in a hooded sweatshirt posting one of the fliers. And police have been contacted, a school spokesman said.

The fliers seemed to be prompted by the 4chan message forum, according to school officials, that promotes racial and political tensions. An Alexandria man used the same forum to make threats to kill black students who attend Howard University.

John E. Rust faces federal charges in that case, which sparked panic at the urban D.C. campus last month.

A thread on the forum encouraged readers to post the same distinct fliers — and provided a sample that could be printed — at schools on Halloween. Conspirators were told to wear Halloween costumes as a disguise and were urged not to cause any vandalism.

Similar signs were found in several other cities across the country this week.

Neal Augenstein

Neal Augenstein has been a reporter at WTOP since 1997. Through the years, Neal has covered many of the crimes and trials that have gripped the region. Neal's been pleased to receive awards over the years for hard news, feature reporting, use of sound and sports.

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