RALEIGH, N.C. — The Wake County school system has identified the student who hacked into Enloe High School’s intercom system on Thursday to broadcast antisemitic remarks such as “Heil Hitler.”
In an email message Thursday to families, Enloe High School Principal Jackie Jordan said someone hacked into the intercom system to reportedly make antisemitic remarks and threaten U.S. President Joe Biden. She had promised parents that they would “take the necessary measures so that this does not happen again.”
“A thorough investigation with the WCPSS security team has resulted in identifying the person who committed these acts,” Jordan said in an email Friday updating the situation. “Appropriate disciplinary action is being taken.”
Enloe is a magnet high school off New Bern Avenue in East Raleigh that draws students from across Wake County.
“I’m deeply disturbed by the antisemitic remarks made at Enloe High School this week,” U.S. Rep. Deborah Ross, a Democrat, tweeted Friday. “Antisemitism has no place in Wake County or any community. We must continue fighting against this hateful rhetoric and violence.”
As part of the Friday update, Jordan said she wanted to offer a clarification and an apology for how she had characterized the offensive remarks in Thursday’s email.
In Thursday’s email, Jordan said that some of the remarks made over the intercom were antisemitic and that “we do not tolerate or condone acts or threats of racism or violence in our school community.”
“To be clear, antisemitism is not to be conflated with the term ‘racism,’ as Judaism is a religion — not a race,” Jordan clarified in the Friday update. “But to be totally transparent, I used the term antisemitic because the remarks made on the intercom reportedly included a salute to Adolf Hitler, who was not only antisemitic but also a known and documented racist, as well.
“I and WCPSS District Leadership offer our sincerest apology for not having been more transparent in the remarks heard over the intercom, and for not being more precise and sensitive in describing to you these very significant details.”
Rabbi Lucy Dinner, senior rabbi of Temple Beth Or in Raleigh, said Jewish students at Enloe contacted them on Thursday concerned that the initial message didn’t condemn antisemitism as much as racism.
“Racism and violence was condemned in the first letter,” Dinner said in an interview Friday. “Antisemitism was mentioned but not condemned in the same way.”
But Dinner, who spoke Friday with Jordan and Wake County school leaders, said the update sent the right tone that Enloe was concerned about antisemitism.
Friday’s update included Jordan saying that “any remarks or acts that express antisemitism or violence will never be tolerated at Enloe.”
Jordan said Friday that the incident has provided Enloe an opportunity to address issues of diversity and what they mean for the community. She said it’s also an opportunity to eliminate hate for those of varying faiths and backgrounds.
“In addition, antisemitism is, unfortunately, on the rise in our country, along with other forms of hate,” Jordan said. “We must continue to do everything we can to resist and reverse this trend.”
The intercom remarks come as Hanukkah is scheduled to start on Sunday.
This year has seen antisemitic graffiti sprayed on a pedestrian bridge over Interstate 540 in Raleigh and antisemitic fliers left in Raleigh neighborhoods.
Five-to-10-years ago, Dinner said most Jewish students would have told her they had no or very little personal experience with antisemitism. But now she says antisemitism has become so brazen that Jewish students across all grade levels have experienced discrimination.
”It’s a societal evil that we’re all facing at this point that we’re not having an open acceptance of people’s rights to live as they are,” Dinner said.
On Friday, Jordan addressed students in a school-wide announcement offering an apology to all who heard the offensive comments.
Jordan also said that she will share in the school’s weekly announcement to families that students will have the opportunity to attend Restorative Circles on Monday during lunch led by staff members who are circle-trained.
“This will allow students to share how this has affected them and how we can continue to support them,” Jordan said. “Counselors will also be on hand to offer additional support.
Jordan said Enloe will work closely with the district’s “Office of Equity Affairs to look at ways we can strengthen how we talk about and address issues of diversity and inclusion in a sensitive and respectful manner.”
