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Students' 'Beat the Jew' Game Under Criminal Investigation
Photo by Manchester Library via Flickr
Authorities in the Palm Springs area have launched a criminal investigation into a now-disbanded Facebook game played by area students called "Beat the Jew,"reports abc7.Students at La Quinta High School who participated in the online game are being referred to as "Nazis." They allegedly "chased down other students" at their school who were identified as being Jewish. Sherri Johnstone, assistant superintendent for personnel at the Desert Sands Unified School District, described the "game" to LA Now:
The game, which gathered participants via Facebook, is a complicated contest of tag, in which "Jews" are taken, blind-folded, by car to a place off campus and have to make their way back to base, while pursued by "Nazis."
This includes an incident during which seven students "played the game in the campus parking lot." As a result of their involvement, those seven students could face suspension or be "barred from graduation."
A student who came forward about the group was threatened by classmates. The school officials began their own investigation, however following the threats, it as escalated to involve local law enforcement. Local rabbis are consulting school officials on ways to teach tolerance to the La Quinta students.
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