Lawfare Project takes action over incident in which swastika was carved into back of Jewish student

The Lawfare Project (LP) announced on Thursday that it filed a complaint against the Clark County School District regarding a March incident in which a then 17-year-old autistic Jewish boy from Las Vegas had a swastika carved into the skin of his back.

The LP is a US-based think tank and litigation fund that aims to protect the civil and human rights of pro-Israel, Jewish, and other communities around the world.

The complaint alleged the victim’s state and federal civil rights were violated. Attorneys Hillary Freeman of Freeman Law Offices, LLC and Lori Rogich of Rogich Law Firm, PLLC joined the LP’s legal action, the project stated in a Thursday post on the social media platform, Instagram.

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“This horrific act against a defenseless Jewish student is a stark reminder of the deeply rooted issue of antisemitism that persists in our society,” Ziporah Reich, the Lawfare Project’s Director of Litigation, said. “Furthermore, the failure of the Clark County School District to conduct a proper investigation into this incident is evidence of the systemic apathy that exists towards Jews who are targeted by hate crimes.”

Rising antisemitism in Las Vegas

Nevada, where the incident occured, has seen a torrent of antisemitic attacks over the previous few months, the organization stated.

Regarding the incident itself, The Jerusalem Post noted in April that the boy had reportedly returned home thereafter with his service dog's equipment bag torn up and a swastika carved into his back.

The FBI subsequently opened an investigation into the matter, but the LP stated that, to date, “the perpetrators are still at large,” a fact that puts every student, and particularly those with disabilities or who are otherwise unable to advocate for themselves, in danger, the organization said.

“There is an appalling pattern of discriminatory conduct within the CCSD that cannot be tolerated any longer,” Hillary Freeman added. “It is time for CCSD to step up and ensure that all students are safe and receiving equal access to their education.”