(LOS ANGELES, CA – 11/23/2019) – The Greater Los Angeles Area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-LA) today condemned racist graffiti targeting a student at Temecula Valley High School (TVHS).
WATCH: Racist Graffiti Targets Student in Temecula School
According to NBC4 News, a racist message directed at a student was found on gym doors on Nov. 20. The message called the student the “n-word,” and was surrounded by other profanity and graphic symbols.
The student said the message was a response to the hashtag #TVHSNeedsChange she created after a schoolmate spray-painted the Confederate flag in a parking space in the school parking lot earlier this year.
In a statement, CAIR-LA Executive Director Hussam Ayloush said:
“White supremacy, xenophobia and intolerance have no place in America, especially not in institutions of learning. We stand in solidarity with targeted minorities and against the actions of bigots who violate our nation’s long-standing principles of tolerance and inclusion.
“The continuing trend of normalizing hate has emboldened bigots in their speech as well as their actions, as evidenced by the murder of 22 people in El Paso, Texas, the massacre of 50 people in New Zealand and the shooting at a synagogue in Poway earlier this year. We will continue to stand against hatred and intolerance. Hate will not prevail.”
According to Valley News, TVHS Principal Allen Williams said “TVHS will not tolerate a culture of hate in any form” during morning announcements on Nov. 21. Messages decrying the racist language were written over the original message before the doors were eventually cleaned.
READ: Racist messages found written on doors at Temecula Valley High School
https://www.myvalleynews.com/racist-messages-found-written-on-doors-at-temecula-valley-high-school/
According to the news report, a teenage boy responsible for the graffiti was cited for misdemeanor vandalism. Ayloush called for the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department to investigate the matter as a hate crime.
“This is more than a juvenile prank. This was a targeted message, motivated by hatred,” Ayloush said. “We ask that this crime be investigated and prosecuted as such.”
Ayloush urged community members to report any bias incidents to police and to CAIR-LA’s Civil Rights Department at 714-776-1177 or by filing a report at: https://bit.ly/2L9Ezsw.
CAIR-LA is Southern California’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice and empower American Muslims.
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CONTACT: CAIR-LA Communications Manager Eugene W. Fields, 714-851-4851 or efields@cair.com