LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — A private school in Las Vegas is recalling senior yearbooks after a student used a quote tied to a “known hate group leader.”
This happened at The Meadows and the student has “been removed from campus and is no longer part of our Meadows community,” according to the school’s spokesperson.
“As The Meadows School does not condone hate speech or racism of any kind, we will not allow this quote to remain in a publication that celebrates our students and represents our school,” the school said in a letter.
The school went out to say it has consulted with several community groups, including the Anti-Defamation League, to support those impacted by the incident.
At this point, 8 News Now does not know what the exact quote was.
Below is the full statement the school sent:
Dear Meadows Community,
As an institution, we stand behind our mission and core values. This week, we discovered that one of our most cherished annual publications, our Middle & Upper School yearbook, was marred by content that did not support our values of character and inclusion. This is not something we take lightly, and we feel it is important to outline the incident and the actions that have been taken to reinforce who we are as an institution.
The senior section of our yearbook includes student-provided quotes. Unfortunately, after publication, we found a quote that was submitted and falsely cited as anonymous that was tied to a known hate group leader. As The Meadows School does not condone hate speech or racism of any kind, we will not allow this quote to remain in a publication that celebrates our students and represents our school.
In response, we have requested the immediate return of all yearbooks to the school so that we may correct this egregious oversight and re-review all other content. We have also conducted a thorough investigation of this incident, and the student that provided the quote has been removed from campus and is no longer a part of our Meadows community.
It is our job to help our students navigate what is morally right and wrong, and we have let not only our student-led yearbook staff down but our community as a whole. In addition to the response outlined above, we have consulted with the Anti-Defamation League and other community leaders on what resources may be available to support those impacted by this incident as well as how to help our students be the best versions of themselves as citizens of a global society each day.
We regret the negative impact this has had on our community and beyond. We are reviewing our yearbook processes as well as what we can do as leaders and educators to reinforce our values of character and inclusion as we truly believe that “our strengths are all different, and our differences are our greatest strengths,” and that, “a great education carries with it an obligation to self, family, and community.”
