Police search for vandals after offensive graffiti spotted at Northeast Philadelphia middle school

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Police are searching for vandals who used spray paint to spread hate over the weekend at a school in Northeast Philadelphia.

According to Philadelphia police, offensive graffiti was spray-painted outside Austin Meehan Middle School at some point over the weekend.

Action News spoke with a mother who said she saw the hateful graffiti Monday morning when she was coming to the school to watch her daughter be recognized for making the honor roll.

"It's just really hurtful," she said.

The mother did not want to reveal her name or show her face on camera, but she began crying as she told Action News about how the offensive graffiti made her feel.

"It makes me want to cry, it really does, because I grew up knowing what it feels like to have somebody call you a name," the mother said.

She said she now plans to tell her 13-year-old daughter about the racist and anti-semitic spray paint she saw outside her middle school.

"It's just sad, it's just really sad that I have to have this conversation with my daughter. I never thought I did, but I do," the mother said.

The building houses students from Meehan Middle School and Mayfair Elementary. Although the graffiti was spotted on the middle school side, the principal of Mayfair Elementary sent a letter home to parents letting them know about the offensive graffiti.

District police and Philadelphia police removed the graffiti, according to a spokesperson for The Philadelphia School District.

Police are still looking for the vandals, and are asking if the public has any information to contact them.