LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — A board regent from the Nevada System of Higher Education is speaking out with concerns over UNLV's president meeting with the group Students for Justice in Palestine.
A letter from University of Nevada, Las Vegas President Keith Whitfield confirmed the meeting.
Board Regent Byron Brooks told me he has concerns the campus would entertain a meeting with an organization with ties to Hamas.
Brooks also said what SJP is asking for, which is to divest from Israel, is actually illegal in the state of Nevada.
"The reason it's illegal in Nevada is because Gov. (Brian) Sandoval signed into law anti-BDS legislation in 2017 or 2018," Brooks said.
BDS, in this case, stands for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions. Generally, anti-BDS laws are designed to make it difficult for people and organizations to participate in boycotts.
"You can't counteract any business that would take place in the state of Nevada based on someone's national origin. It starts to become discriminatory when businesses do that. As a community and a state, it's important to take note of that and take a look at what is the direction we want to go in with regards with our higher education campuses," Brooks said.
