Washington, DC, July 9, 2004 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today condemned a vicious hate crime targeting an African-American woman in Ellicott City, Maryland.  A 12-foot cross was burned onto the lawn of a Howard County school official.

"The perpetrators of this terrible act must know that they will be vigorously prosecuted by law enforcement, caught and forced to face the full weight of the law," said David C. Friedman, ADL Washington, D.C. Regional Director, in condemning the attack. 

Mr. Friedman commended Howard County Police Chief G. Wayne Livesay for his swift condemnation of the hate crime and his resolve to find the perpetrator(s).

ADL's Washington, D.C. Regional Office is a leader in the fight against hate crimes throughout the region.  The Regional Office was one of the founders of the D.C. Bias Crimes Task Force, a coalition of police, prosecutors and community organizations combating hate crimes.