LA QUINTA, CA [CHI] — A Facebook fan page outlining a game called “Beat the Jew” has been shut-down. The game, where “the Jew” is chased down the highway, was played by some 40 high school students in Southern California's La Quinta High. Shliach to the area, Rabbi Posner voiced outrage, while the school principal says the students involved can't even be expelled.
California Teens Play “Beat the Jew”
LA QUINTA, CA [CHI] — A Facebook fan page outlining a game called “Beat the Jew” has been shut-down. The game, where “the Jew” is chased down the highway, was played by some 40 high school students in Southern California’s La Quinta High. Shliach to the area, Rabbi Posner voiced outrage, while the school principal says the students involved can’t even be expelled.
School administrators learned about the game after a student came forward anonymously. The game was becoming a popular among teens in the Coachella Valley.
A student at La Quinta High created the game and opened the Facebook page title “Beat The Jew” outlining the rules: A willing person, “the Jew” is blindfolded and left on Highway 111 in La Quinta. The other team, “the Nazis”, are in cars and try to catch, tackle and capture “the Jew”.
In an interview, the La Quinta High principal Donna Salazar told KNBC-2 that she is “profoundly disappointed.” She says the students are well educated about the Holocaust and “cannot understand why they would have this kind of insensitivity, it’s beyond my understanding.”
Rabbi Shimon Posner of Chabad of Rancho Mirage spoke to Local 2 KPSP and called for discipline and additional training for dozens of students at La Quinta High School who were involved in the game. “Where is the outrage? It is a breakdown in education”, said Rabbi Posner.
Because the activity happened off campus, principal Salazar says the students “can’t be disciplined” by the school.
Meanwhile, the student who reported the group has left school, fearing retaliation. It’s not yet known if she will feel safe enough to walk with her class at graduation next month, Salazar told KNBC-2.
“Its reprehensible and inexcusable. I would expel them if I could, but I can’t”, said the Principal.
CrownHeights.info reporting with KPSP Local 2 California and WBBH NBC 2 Florida.
School-s fault?
I hold Facebook responsible for allowing this hate crime. Parents too.
Arrest
If it goes on off-campus, why can’t they arrest them on hate-related charges? I know they’re minors & will get a slap on the wrist, but it’s still something.
Yosef
Latino Anti Semites? Really? Good morning people!
Wake up and smell the coffee!
Wow what is this world coming too? Its like a plague let loose! When someone or something anti-semitic occurs and goes without opposition then everyone else thinks they can get away with it too!We have to all stand together and protest against this kind of thing or it becomes very scary. The Holocaust ring a bell?
ch goya
There can’t be hate related charges because all are willing participants and there were no Jews involved. They can only be guilty of bad taste, irresponsibility and stupidity.
mvh
What are “hate-related charges”? Are you under the impression that it’s illegal to hate people?
In any case, is this game so different from the chasing games we played as children, which we gave such names as “Jews and Arabs”, or “Nazis and Allies”?
Eli
The Rebbe Said:
If Israel gives away land that Hashem gave them in a miraculous way in the 1967 Six day war. This will put the lives of Jews all over the world in extreme danger
cle
I agree with Eli, how could you not
Chava
To #3 – THAT was a RUDE comment. We do not know if the kids involved were Latino. Should I stereotype you and all who live in Crown Heights?
FORMERLQHSPARENT
The student that created this game is in the top 10 in his class. Mrs. Salazar needs to pay more attention on what goes on in the classroom vs in her office. I bet if they really looked hard instead of turning their heads they would notice that the kids were playing this game during school hours on campus. Just like other students doing drugs on campus and getting a slap on the wrist so he is able to play football. The school is a joke along with the staff!! Learned my lesson with my oldest now my younger ones go to a different high school. Congrats to the young lady who turned them in you should walk down with your class because you have class. God bless you!!
LQStudent
This has been blown way out of proportion. I agree with the name of it being offensive, but people are taking “BEAT the jew” to literally. It isn’t Beat, as in, i will beat you up, it is beat as in beat them to the spot. This game is only a combination of capture the flag, and hide and go seek combined. I am a student here at La Quinta, and will graduate next thursday, with the creator of the facebook page, he was not the creator of the game. The people involved included most of our senior scholars, and top ten students in our graduating class. As for the student who told, she is being a coward. You stand up for what you believe, not run and hide, and threaten to not walk, are you kidding me? I do not know this person personally, but if I was her, I would definately not miss out on my last weeks of high school because of something stupid like this.
To #10- As I am a student, I strongly believe this is the best school in the valley, and for you to put down this school, which has been proven to be the best in the coachella valley, and ranked nationally as one of the top schools. You should be ashamed that you would talk bad about the school your oldest graduated from. As for the drugs, and in school comment. How much do your parents know about your senior year, and what happened on and off campus?
To #3
A Crown Heights Jew racist? Who ever heard of such a thing. Ohh and good afternoon
Irritated
Ok, I go to this school. It was not a hate crime, no one was hurt. I was in no way involved in this, and people are blowing this way out of proportion. I had not even heard about this until I saw it on the news. 3000+ people go to LQHS and the forty people involved were stupid to name the game “Beat the Jew” and use “nazis” it was all incredibly stupid of them. There was no crime, so how can the police do anything? How in the WORLD is this the schools fault? We are most definitely not taught anti-Semitic view points. Stupid kids, unknowing parents, and insensitivity are whats to blame, not the school, teachers, or any other students.
3. Yosef wrote:
Latino Anti Semites? Really? Good morning people!
To that I say, most of the kids were white or Asian, your comment in its self is quite insensitive, don’t you think?
Be careful who you blame for this.
LQKID92
Thank you #11. I feel prode of my school, for the most part. And offended that I get rude coments for going there.