The mother of a Chicago eighth grader claims her son is being taunted and bullied by other students who turned a video game into a vile anti-Semitic vehicle which they are using to insult and threaten her son because he is Jewish.
Ogden International School is a Chicago public school serving the North side of Chicago. As an international school, it prides itself on immersing students “in a rich and safe environment to obtain awareness of foreign cultures,” and encourages them to develop “skills necessary for global citizenship and competency.”
CBS local news in Chicago, however, reported that, according to the mother of a Jewish student, a group of students at the school turned the video game app “Clash of Clans” into a vicious anti-Semitic game.
Clash of Clans is a two year old iPad/iPhone/iPod/Android video strategy game created by Supercell. Players can construct and expand their village, unlock successively more powerful warriors and defenses, raid and pillage goods from other villages, and create and join clans.
Some eighth graders at Ogden International, however, allegedly created a team called the “Jew Incinerator Clan.” The complaining mother reported that those students also posted racist goals.
The Chicago news station reported that administrators from the Chicago Public Schools acknowledged that a complaint had been brought.
“Chicago Public Schools is serious about providing safe learning environments for its students and does not tolerate any acts of bullying. School administration and district officials are aware of the concerns and are investigating,” CPS said in a statement.
The mother of the child being bullied said that two of the problematic students had written apology letters, but other students ignored the complaint.
“It’s disturbing,” says the parent, who asked that her identity be concealed. “They’re using a game as a catalyst to truly spread hate.”