LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Channel 13 learned Title VI Rights may be in question at UNLV.
While they are not currently under investigation by the Office for Civil Rights, KTNV's Tricia Kean spoke to several students who
say antisemitic incidents are on the rise on campus.
RELATED: Clark County School District under federal investigation for 'possible civil rights violations'
They're calling on the university to do something about it.
Michelle Poura and Keyla Avila are two UNLV seniors who say they have stopped going on campus for class since the war between Israel and Hamas began — simply because they do not feel safe.
"I experience a lot of antisemitism, and I know my friends have too," Poura said. "I've had people spit at me. It's been scary, and I have people flip me off because I wore a star for Israel."
Avila is not Jewish, but her friends are. She says she's very uncomfortable seeing swastikas that were found on a cup on campus.
She says the rallies have crossed the line. Pro-Palestinian activists can be heard saying, "From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free."
"This isn't freedom of speech anymore," Avila said. "This is hate speech."
Roy Salman has Jewish friends on UNLV's campus, and he says he wanted to see what was happening in his hometown for himself. He says what's bothered him the most about the rallies is the anti-Americanism sentiment.
"The disrespect to the American flag," he said after seeing a campus protest. "Treating it as some sort of capitalistic terror promoter. It really does show that anti-Zionism and anti-Americanism sentiments coincide."
Long-time Las Vegas resident Meir Cohen's daughter graduated from UNLV. He tells me he's very concerned that more hasn't been done on college campuses to protect the civil rights of Jewish students.
"We are not going to let them raise their head in the name of freedom of speech protest for violence and protest for intifada," he said. "This is unheard of, protest for terror, exactly what it means."
Just last month, Byron Brooks, chairman of the Nevada System of Higher Education, who is Jewish, told Kean there's a need for action.
"Antisemitic rhetoric in our nation and in our state at this time should not go unchecked."
We received a statement from NSHE Chancellor Patty Charlton that reads, in part, that they oppose racism, antisemitism, and Islamophobia. It goes on to say, "In situations in which students, faculty or staff express fear, intimidation or threats are of paramount concern and are taken seriously."
"I personally emailed the UNLV president, Dr. Keith Whitfield, about this issue," Charlton said.
Anti-Defamation League Nevada says UNLV has now been added to the long list of campuses where Jewish students feel unsafe.
"From hateful swastikas on campus to the intimidation of chanting 'from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,' which is the call to dismantle the Jewish state, is terrifying, and President Whitfield must unequivocally condemn this act."
ADL's National President, Johnathan Greenblatt, has said if university presidents fail to protect Jewish student's rights under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, federal funding could be at risk.
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