LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The FBI is investigating a suspected hate crime at a high school in Las Vegas.
The Anti-Defamation League confirms a swastika was carved on the back of a Jewish student with autism who is a senior at Clark High School.
In a statement, the Clark County School District said its investigation, including interviews with staff and a review of available camera footage, "found no evidence that would indicate the origin of the injuries."
Other law enforcement agencies reviewing the same information also found no evidence to determine the swastika's origin, the district stated.
"CCSD is inclusive of all races, ethnicities, cultures, religions/beliefs, sexual orientations, gender identities, socioeconomic statuses, abilities, and living arrangements," a district spokesperson stated. "We will not tolerate discriminatory behaviors that contradict an inclusive community and impact student safety and well-being."
The school district urged anyone with information related to the case to contact CCSD police.
Channel 13 anchor Tricia Kean spoke with ADL Nevada executive director Jolie Brislin about the antisemitic act and the trends the ADL has seen lately.
Brislin said the incident under investigation at Clark High School "probably one of the most egregious incidents that I've seen."
"And it's not only because the student was targeted because of their identifiable faith, but also because of the vulnerability due to his disability," she added.
The ADL has tracked a 36% increase in antisemitic incidents over the past year, Brislin told Channel 13.
"Nevada is not immune to that," she said. "We're seeing these incidents take place on the streets and in our schools."
The ADL Nevada is now working with Clark High School to do training on antisemitism and bias.
Anyone with information about this disturbing incident is urged to contact the ADL Nevada or the FBI.
FULL INTERVIEW: ADL Nevada's Jolie Brislin explains ongoing investigation of suspected hate crime at Clark High School:
Tricia Kean: "This is really disturbing. I told you a viewer sent this to me. What school did this happen and when did the ADL get word of this?"
Jolie Brislin: "So this happened at Clark High School on March 9th. The ADL has been involved in that just about the past few weeks. And in that time, we've been working closely with the family, (CCSD Police), the administration, Clark High School, as well as the FBI. I'm having conversations with the DOJ (Department of Justice) and really trying to be advocates for this student."
Kean: "How was it reported? What exactly happened? This student is autistic. How does something like this even happen?"
Brislin: "That's the question, right? And those are the answers that we don't have yet. And we are hoping that someone will hear this and we start over."
Kean: "Sure. And it's very disturbing, what happened at Clark High School. This was done during school hours. How was it discovered?"
Brislin: "So, we don't have any of that information. All we know is that this student went to school in the morning, fine, and came home with a swastika carved into his back. And we we don't have all those answers yet. And if anybody who sees this interview does have any information ... we urge them to please reach out to the FBI, to the ADL and share that information."
Kean: "Obviously, Jolie, the ADL is committed to stamping out antisemitism. And then you see something like this here in the valley. It's so alarming."
Brislin: "You know, this is very alarming. I mean, the ADL tracked a 36% increase of antisemitic incidents over the previous year. Nevada is not immune to that. We're seeing these incidents take place, you know, on the streets and in our schools. And so this incident in particular, though, you know, was one of the — it's probably one of the most egregious incidents that I've seen. And it's not only because the student was targeted because of their identifiable faith, but also because of the vulnerability due to his disability. And so this really kind of illustrates this points of intersectionality, of how hate can manifest itself through marginalized communities. It's very disturbing."
Kean: "How old was the student, what year?"
Brislin: "The student is a senior."
Kean: Did the student report what happened or was it spotted by their parents?
Brislin: "One of the parents."
Kean: "Clark (High School), I know they're strong in engineering. Do they have a special needs program there?"
Brislin: "So, Clark does have a program, like all Clark County School District student schools do.
We are going to be doing training with Clark High School on antisemitism and anti-bias, because we know that at the end of the day, hate is learned and, with education, can be unlearned."
Editor's note: This report has been updated since publication to include information provided in a statement from the Clark County School District.
