Mar. 31—Aberdeen Police Department and Harford County Public Schools are investigating a hate crime at Aberdeen High School after a noose was found in a classroom Friday morning.

Around 7 a.m., the Aberdeen High School resource officer was notified about a piece of rope tied to resemble a noose attached to teacher's whiteboard, according to a news release.

There were three messages potentially from three authors written on the whiteboard. The messages were not released to the public.

In a letter emailed to parents, Harford County Public Schools said it is appalled at the incident and encouraged students to alert administrators if they see something concerning.

"We are appalled and deeply saddened that someone brought this noose into our building. We are equally disgusted with one particular statement written on the white board that appears to be racially motivated," the letter said. "We are continuing a thorough investigation of the situation and disciplinary action will be taken. Law enforcement partners at the Aberdeen Police Department, along with HCPS Safety and Security, our SRO, the supervisor of equity and cultural proficiency, and school administrators are committed to identifying any person involved."

The letter continued: "As a school, we welcome and honor diversity and are committed to facilitating a safe and secure environment for all our students and staff. Your support at home is greatly appreciated! Please encourage your student that if they see something, to report it to administrators, the SRO, or someone else that they trust at the school so that we can immediately address it."

The teacher who discovered the rope had returned from two days of being away from the classroom. The teacher's absence is unrelated to the incident, according to Harford County Public Schools.

Schools dismissed early Friday, as scheduled, for spring break. Students return to class on April 10.