DENVER – Cherry Creek High School officials are working with the Anti-Defamation League after officials say four students shared an anti-Semitic post on social media over the weekend.
In a letter sent to parents Monday, Cherry Creek High School Principal Ryan Silva said that while it happened outside of school and on the weekend, they are investigating to “determine the impact on the school environment,” vowing they will take appropriate action, though he stopped short of elaborating what that would mean for the students involved, three of which said they were unaware of the anti-Semitic post a fourth student added in a caption before sharing it on Snapchat.
“Cherry Creek High School does not tolerate hateful speech or actions. Our responsibility is to keep students safe and to provide a place where students of every race, ethnicity, religion, gender and sexual orientation feel safe, valued and supported,” Silva said in the letter.
Scott Levin, the regional director for the Anti-Defamation League, told Denver7 they are monitoring the situation and working the school, the principal, the superintendent and law enforcement to make sure the situation is handled properly.
“What needs to be understood is that post like these can cause a lot of anxiety due to the historical context and their implications,” Levin said. “Killing Jews happened en masse and it’s been less than a year since the Tree of Life shooting. Anti-Semitic incidents have increased in Colorado over recent years and all these things added together cause a lot of anxiety and worry for people from these minority communities.”
The Anti-Defamation League reported a total of 39 incidents of anti-Semitism in Colorado last year, down from 57 in 2017 and 45 in 2016.
Nationally, ADL documented 1,879 anti-Semitic incidents, a decrease from the 1,986 incidents reported in 2017.
