Parent: School Officials Not Taking Anti-Semitic Threats Seriously Enough
(CBS) – The mother of a Chicago middle-school student says school officials are not taking racially charged threats against her child seriously enough.
Her son, an Ogden International School student, says a group of peers used a popular multi-player video game app, "Clash of Clans," to target him because he's Jewish. One team allegedly dubbed itself "Jew Incinerator."
The parent, who attended a meeting on the issue Thursday, says the school administration keeps trying to downplay the racist threats as simple bullying.
"It's anti-Semitism," she tells CBS 2's Pamela Jones.
Parents of eighth-grade students at the West Town school met with the school's principal Thursday. The handouts publicizing the meeting were about general bullying, and parents who attended the meeting said it took an hour for principal Joshua VanderJagt to mention the word "anti-Semitic" or to say the accusations could be hate crimes.
All of the accused students are back in class. One parent says the youngsters were suspended for one day – the equivalent of a slap on the wrist.
Representatives of Chicago Public Schools says the CPS office of safety and security has worked with Ogden to help ensure a safe and nurturing environment for all students.