A swastika was reportedly carved on the back of a nonverbal autistic Jewish student in Las Vegas on March 9.
NBC News reported on April 22 that the mother of the 17-year-old Clark High School student reported the incident to the school district on March 13 and has taken the student out of the school. She also said that her son is the only student at school who wears a kippah. The district has said that police conducted an investigation but were unable to determine the perpetrator.
“We will not tolerate discriminatory behaviors that contradict an inclusive community and impact student safety and well-being,” the district said in a statement. “If anyone has any additional information related to this case, we urge them to contact school police immediately.”
The FBI said in a statement they “are in regular contact with local authorities.” “If during the local investigation, information comes to light of a potential federal civil rights violation, the FBI is prepared to investigate,” they said.
Shoham Nicolet, co-founder and CEO of the Israeli-American Council, which first reported the incident, said in a statement, “The Israeli-American Council was appalled to learn that a Jewish teen may have been targeted in such an inhumane antisemitic attack. We urge authorities to investigate this incident to the fullest.”
The Lawfare Project announced on April 24 that they will be representing the student in this matter.
“Antisemitic hate is no longer hiding in the shadows and in the darkest corners of the internet,” Lawfare Project Founder and Executive Director Brooke Goldstein said in a statement. “To attack an autistic child in a public place shows the brazen level of hatred people will display to harm the Jewish community. Our team will work with the victim and his family to ensure that the individual or individuals responsible for this will be held accountable.”
Other Jewish groups also denounced the swastika carving.
“ADL [Anti-Defamation League] condemns this violent, antisemitic act,” ADL Nevada Regional Director Jolie Brislin said in a statement. “Not only was this student targeted for his identifiable faith, but he was particularly vulnerable due to his disability. This incident illustrates points of intersectionality in how hate can show itself across marginalized communities.” She added that the ADL has been in contact with the district and law enforcement on the matter. “School should be no place for hate, and no student should be made to feel unsafe and threatened.”
A statement from ADL Nevada Regional Director @BrislinJolie on a suspected hate incident against a visibly Jewish 17-year-old boy in the Las Vegas area. Read more about this incident here: https://t.co/DX8pmfePja pic.twitter.com/rjP0slLfSb
— ADL Nevada (@ADL_Nevada) April 19, 2023
Stop Antisemitism tweeted, “We are sick to our stomachs to learn a non verbal autistic Jewish student in the Las Vegas area (Clark County) had a swastika carved into his back. The FBI is currently investigating.”
We are sick to our stomachs to learn a non verbal autistic Jewish student in the Las Vegas area (Clark County) had a swastika carved into his back.
The FBI is currently investigating. pic.twitter.com/iWsC1uBhHg
— StopAntisemitism (@StopAntisemites) April 18, 2023
Former New York Democratic Assemblyman Dov Hikind, who heads the Americans Against Antisemitism watchdog, tweeted: “A Jewish autistic student had a swastika carved into his back. 2 months later, the culprit has yet to be found. The FBI isn’t certain there was a civil rights violation so they haven’t investigated yet! But if ‘KKK’ had been carved into a black student it would rightfully be a national story! We’re sick of these double standards when it comes to hate crimes!! And we’re demanding a full FBI investigation into this doubly heinous attack on an autistic student because he’s Jewish!”
A Jewish autistic student had a swastika carved into his back. 2 months later, the culprit has yet to be found.
The FBI isn’t certain there was a civil rights violation so they haven’t investigated yet!
But if “KKK” had been carved into a black student it would rightfully be a…
— Dov Hikind (@HikindDov) April 24, 2023
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