A 23-year-old woman pleaded guilty Wednesday to vandalism and graffiti charges for posting Nazi propaganda posters at Orange County schools.
Grace Elisabeth Ziesmer of Fullerton admitted to three misdemeanor counts — one of vandalism and two of graffiti — for posting what prosecutors characterized as Nazi propaganda posters at Newport Harbor High School and Fullerton College, the Orange County District Attorney’s Office said.
Ziesmer’s guilty plea was in exchange for a court offer of 40 hours community service and one year informal probation, the DA’s office said. Ziesmer was also ordered to pay $517 in restitution.
On March 4, 2019, Ziesmer put up the propaganda posters on city light poles near Fullerton College. She was also accused of putting up such posters on Newport Harbor High School property on March 11, 2019.
The posters contained images of swastikas, SS mottos and other neo-Nazi statements, officials said.
“Expressing hatred towards any particular group will never be tolerated in Orange County,” O.C. District Attorney Todd Spitzer said. “Vandalizing a school or any place with propaganda spreads a violent message to students and residents and does not belong in Orange County.”
Ziesmer was not charged with a hate crime because there was a lack of sufficient evidence to prove that the vandalism was directed at individuals or institutions for their association with the Jewish people or religion, according to the DA’s office.
