Denver, CO, October 18, 2021 …The Anti-Defamation League Mountain States Region condemns the hateful graffiti spray painted at a Denver public high school over the weekend.
George Washington High School was targeted with extensive graffiti vandalism that was first reported on Sat., Oct. 16, according to a statement released by school administrators. The graffiti includes antisemitic comments, swastikas, homophobic statements, as well as racist comments.
ADL Mountain States Regional Director Scott Levin issued the following statement:
It is deeply disturbing that a public high school with a diverse student population was targeted with vandalism and hateful graffiti over the weekend in Denver. We extend our support to the students, teachers and staff at George Washington High School. We recognize that the impact of this type of incident extends beyond the school community to the wider community. This type of hateful behavior will not be tolerated. All students deserve to learn in an environment free of intimidation and intolerance.
The number of hate crimes and antisemitic incidents reported in Colorado are on the rise. The number of hate crimes reported to law enforcement in Colorado increased by 34 percent from 2019 to 2020 and reached the highest level reported in the last 30 years, according to the recently released annual FBI hate crime report. There were 60 antisemitic incidents reported to ADL in 2020, making it the second highest number of reports in the last 10 years, according to ADL’s 2020 Audit of Antisemitic Incidents.
ADL is a leading anti-hate organization. Founded in 1913 in response to an escalating climate of antisemitism and bigotry, its timeless mission is to protect the Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment for all. Today, ADL continues to fight all forms of hate with the same vigor and passion. ADL is the first call when acts of antisemitism occur. A global leader in exposing extremism, delivering anti-bias education and fighting hate online, ADL’s ultimate goal is a world in which no group or individual suffers from bias, discrimination or hate. ADL’s Mountain States Region covers Colorado, New Mexico and Wyoming. More at https://mountainstates.adl.org/.
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