Two men are suspected of scrawling racist graffiti across a Northeast Portland elementary school and committing other vile acts of vandalism on its grounds, according to police and multiple reports.

Administrators at Menlo Park Elementary School told KOIN News that a custodian discovered the hateful messages painted on its property Thursday morning and scrambled to cover them up before children arrived.

The suspected vandals also threw eggs at the building and burned a portable toilet near the school's soccer field to the ground, said Principal Kellie Burkhardt.

"It makes me sad that adults would model this kind of behavior in our community to our children," Burkhardt told KOIN News.

Burkhardt did not immediately respond to phone calls and emails left by The Oregonian/OregonLive.

Surveillance video reviewed by the Portland Police Bureau shows two men believed to be in their 20s or 30s at the school around 1:10 a.m. on Thursday, said Sgt. Chris Burley, a police spokesman. Bias crime detectives have been notified of the incident, Burley said.

KPTV reported that Menlo Park, which is located on Northeast Glisan Street and 129th Avenue, is a multi-cultural school where students speak 24 languages.

-- Shane Dixon Kavanaugh

skavanaugh@oregonian.com

503-294-7632 II @shanedkavanaugh