Faculty and staff return from holiday weekend to find extensive damage to the school. Security officers at the school have an idea who the suspects might be.
By Caitlin Harris/Special to The Malibu Times
Malibu High School was repeatedly vandalized during and after Memorial Day weekend, leaving windows smashed, classrooms ransacked and derogatory messages written on administrators’ office doors.
On the Tuesday after Memorial Day, faculty and staff found two classrooms, adjacent to the Gym, had been ransacked, with everything from computers to furniture damaged. Also, exterior locks of the school’s gates had been glued with pennies over the keyholes. Then, Tuesday night, numerous windows in the faculty and administration buildings, and in the teacher’s lounge were smashed. Estimated damage has been reported as high as $10,000. According to a sheriff’s report, the total damage regarding the windows was $3,600. Vandalism that results in damages of more than $3,000 is considered a felony.
Malibu High School security officer Ken Hall reported that 36 windows were damaged during the break in. The sheriff’s report stated the holes in the windows were round, and possibly a baseball bat was used to break them.
In addition, glue had been used to write derogatory messages on the doors of administrators’ offices. One was a racial slur left on Assistant Principal Gloria Martinez’s office door, and another was a “very personal attack” on Principal Mike Matthews, said David Warshawski, the school’s journalism teacher.
The vandalism has left the entire school looking like a construction sight with large pieces of plywood covering the shattered windows.
Initially, the glued locks were interpreted as a senior prank. The incident of putting glue in the locks was manageable, according to Matthews.
Martinez agreed, describing how the glue in the locks seemed more like “some kind of prank, but we don’t know who did it.”
The school’s security officers are said to have an idea who the suspects are, which may include former students.
Earlier this year, a trespassing incident occurred involving six boys from Santa Monica High School who had entered the school looking for a fight with two Malibu students. One student, who was taken to a juvenile detention center, was found with a pellet gun in his possession and had been tagging school property, road signs and a car in the area of the school.
It was shortly after this incident that the school implemented a new policy to lock all front gates of the campus during instruction hours and restricting access to the school to selected entrances.
Many seniors are stating the glue in the locks was not meant to be a senior prank. As well, none believe the senior class should be connected with the vandalism of the windows.
As security officer Milton Greene explained, “The class as a whole would not want to be tied to this, so we are hoping that the class will [take some initiative and help in the investigation.] It’s more important that the person has to face up to what they have done.”
Senior Kevin McCann said he believes “there must have been some sort of motive [for this act].”
Following the protocol necessary for these situations, a public investigator was called and because of the amount of damage involved, the Sheriff’s Department has been called to aid in the investigation.
As well as these outside investigators, Malibu High School’s three full-time security guards are also very busy, following any leads around school.
Anonymous tips can be reported online at www.wetip.com.
“Almost every kid I’ve talked to is sincerely appalled,” said Greene. “Nobody hates MHS that bad.”
Greene and Martinez both report the same hope that students with information will step forward and provide evidence.
Martinez explained that, in response, the administration as a whole would have to decide on the consequences, though there would most likely be a call for reimbursement of the damage.
Martinez described how the damage didn’t just touch the administration, but also classrooms.
Matthews was appalled by this aggressive expression against Malibu High School.
While speaking to students about the incident, he asked, “Do you know of anyone who hates this school that much?” He explained how terrible the event was and how sad it made him to see teachers have to clean up broken glass in their rooms.
Greene said he is aware of a few seniors who know useful information, but are reluctant to talk, even anonymously at this point.
“We shouldn’t drive the getaway car for these people,” he told students. “Those responsible should not be protected.”
To most of the students, faculty and administrators at Malibu High School the incident came as a complete shock.
Art teacher Irene Blanchard said, “It’s deplorable. It’s the product of this terrible anger. We could have used that money going to repair the windows. The money could have been spent on art.”
Junior Dan Curtis is also upset that anyone would lash out with such destructive action against Malibu High.
“I just don’t see what the benefit is to making the place where you spend the majority of your day worse,” Curtis said. “We are supposed to take pride in our school.”
As a part of the senior class, McCann is upset at the possible correlation of the events that lead to the questioning of the senior class.
“They have no right to blame the senior class because there is no reasoning it would be the seniors,” he said. “This is different from the prank.”
Although the investigation is currently confidential, the students are aware of the fact that the vandalism was committed after some seniors were informed they would not be able to graduate and other students were not allowed to attend their Senior Prom.
“It’s a sad thing because whoever did this does not appreciate how nice it is to go to this school,” said security guard Hall. “Also, taxpayers and parents have to pay for it.”