Catholic School in California Vandalized, DOJ Opens Civil Rights Probe
The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division announced Monday it is opening an investigation following a break-in and act of vandalism at Holy Innocents Catholic School in Long Beach, California.
Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon stated on X, “The @CivilRights will open an investigation into this awful crime.”
School officials reported that the assembly hall, chapel, and classrooms of Holy Innocents were broken into and desecrated. Images show statues were smashed and images of Mary and other religious figures were destroyed. A photograph of the Pope was also knocked to the floor.
According to authorities, the vandalism included defecation on school grounds, as well as partially consumed food and drinks left behind, providing potential DNA evidence for investigators.
Local police and the FBI have been contacted regarding the incident. Investigators estimate the damage to the church at approximately $100,000.
Lila Rose, president of Live Action, posted on X, “Statues smashed. Images of Our Lady destroyed. The tabernacle thrown to the floor. This is one of the worst cases of vandalism the local bishop has ever seen. Hatred of Christ only destroys hearts. Pray for this school.”
Members of the church expressed heartbreak upon learning of the desecration. Holy Innocents school principal Cyril Cruz told Fox 11, “There are crucifixes. There are statues of the Blessed Mother. The tabernacle itself was taken and thrown on the floor and the Sacred House is there. That, to me, is more traumatizing than anything else. It’s not just the material things. It’s the heart behind the things,” adding that “evil is out there, so we need to pray.”
A GoFundMe campaign launched to support the school has raised nearly $60,000 as of Tuesday, February 3, 2026. The fundraiser states, “What appears to have been multiple perpetrators smashed statues and ruined images of our Lady, other statues as well, and threw the tabernacle down … Bishop Mark Trudeau said that it is the worst case of vandalism that he’s ever seen in the region.”
