Maryland middle school students face hate crime charges for Nazi salutes, swastikas

Three middle schoolers in Maryland were charged with hate crimes after they displayed swastikas, acted out Nazi salutes, and made "offensive comments" about a classmate's religious beliefs, county prosecutors announced last week.

The students were charged as juveniles with harassment and violations of state hate crimes statutes, the Calvert County State’s Attorney’s Office said in a news release Friday. The behavior began last December and the students refused to stop despite "repeated requests," county prosecutors added.

According to charging documents, the students displayed swastikas, made Nazi salutes, and "directed offensive comments to a classmate because of the classmate’s religious beliefs" for several months. The victim ultimately reported the conduct to Maryland State Police officers, who investigated and filed the charges against the students, county prosecutors said.