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Palo Verde High vandalism investigated
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Craig L. Moran/Las Vegas Review-Journal
The Palo Verde High School panther is shown smeared with spray paint in rival colors Tuesday. The quad, at the center of the school, suffered extensive graffiti on the concrete and planter walls, some of which was obscene and covered with butcher paper. » Buy this photo
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LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL
Toilet paper strewn through campus, mascots temporarily switched or even school colors flown atop a competitor's flag pole: typical but essentially harmless pranks played against contenders of a storied rivalry are expected.
Clark County School District officials haven't seen such pranks get criminal -- until now.
Sheets of green butcher paper covered the painted obscenities across the quad at Palo Verde High School on Tuesday.
But the rest of the vandalism -- tags "BGHS" and "BGHS Seniors FTW" (for the win) painted in Bishop Gorman's colors of blue and orange -- streaked the concrete, planter walls and panther statue at the center of campus.
"This is unusual," said Michael Rodriguez, a spokesman for the district. "It goes beyond a prank and into a criminal level."
School police are investigating, but by 5 p.m. Tuesday they hadn't determined who is responsible for the vandalism. School District police Lt. Ken Young said he wouldn't have any information regarding the case until today.
Rodriguez said the district hopes the graffiti will be cleaned up by today. The cost to remove the paint had not been assessed as of Tuesday afternoon, he said.
Palo Verde and Bishop Gorman are football and basketball powerhouses and have developed a rivalry, meeting in the regionals the past several seasons. The Palo Verde Panthers defeated the Gorman Gaels in the Sunset Region title football game in 2008, but the past two years, Gorman beat Palo Verde and went on to win the state championship. Gorman beat Palo Verde for the state basketball title in 2009. The Gaels also beat Palo Verde in the basketball regionals in 2010 and 2011.
"It's been going on for quite a while," Palo Verde senior Sean Wilson said of the rivalry. "It's not quite every sport, but a lot of the big ones, the ones people care about."
Wilson, 17, said school administrators seemed "pretty upset" about the graffiti during senior orientation Tuesday. He said administrators told the seniors that if Palo Verde students were involved in the vandalism or are caught retaliating, they could lose their right to walk at graduation or not receive their diploma at all.
Palo Verde administrators declined to comment, directing all questions to the district office, which said the consequences would be left up to school police.
Bishop Gorman officials issued a statement saying that if the investigation finds that the school's students were involved, administrators will take "appropriate action," but they did not elaborate.
Wilson said he wouldn't be surprised if the vandals turned out to be Palo Verde students posing as Bishop Gorman seniors . He said there are always rumors about senior pranks toward the end of the school year.
Last week, Wilson said, Palo Verde seniors started a small water fight with squirt guns and water balloons in the quad, but it didn't last long before administrators put a stop to it.
Contact Jessica Fryman at jfryman@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0264.
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Gorman kids have been doing this for years... and the administration allows them to get away with it... as do their parents. What this article doesnt say is that the students who did this POSTED THE WHOLE THING on YouTube. I think stupidity this prounounced can only be blamed on the administration and the parents.
and dont get me wrong, i had the most amazing time of my life at that school and i am not a gorman hater.
its my rant time, and yes destruction of property is a crime always, not just now
bghs is a low quality institution and I expect stuff like this to become more commonplace unless changes are made. (save you the reading)
they wont do anything big to the perpetrators, trust me I know.
several of my family members, including myself, are alumni. We saw the school change principles, from education to fame.
Look not at their ap testing rates, but at their pass rates in science, math and foreign language. They had 1 national merit finalist, and 25 scholarships for athletics. I remember back a few years ago, I heard of a kid from gorman abducted his girlfriend and threatened to slit her throat (football scholarship to Oklahoma). My brother's gorman valedictorian was kicked out of ucla for cheating. now these good catholic kids are destroying public property. That is the God, accountability, excellence, leadership and stewardship that is being taught today.
A similar sized catholic college prep in phoenix (brophy) is a good comparison school to look at how different catholic education is just a 50 minute plane ride away. 18 nat. merit finalist, 13 nat merit scholars, and every ivy league school was accounted for in their class of 2010. they also have been state champions in athletics in az (bigger pool of schools) just like gorman has had their successes.
In the next 20 years, a real catholic school (society of jesus) with plant themselves in las vegas, and bishop gorman will loose its luster.
Everyone knows that the school is of low quality. Do not get me wrong, there are isolated teachers that are good (i looked and jay bonar is still there and he is probably most of their passing ap scores), but this is the same story you get at every bad school.
Expect more crap like this every year alumni.
@Billy Vegas: lets not forget the t-shirst Palo kids wore at that game as well.and what great support the Palo fans showed at the 3rd qrt when 90% left as the Panthers were getting killed on the field by BG.. It’s obvious you’re a Gorman hater, my child is zoned for Palo and I would never send him there in a million years….. Unfortunately for my older kids they went to Palo when it first opened and even back then they were bussing in gang bangers and hoods from other schools just to fill it up, and it looks like they’re still there… and YES that is Summerlin’s dirty little secret..
If you read the article correctly which I doubt you did, even a Palo Sr said he wouldn’t be surprised if Palo kids did it posing as BG kids…. So there you have it……
Should it come out that Palo kids did it, I seriously doubt that Palo or anyone would have the decency to apologize to BG for the accusations:
"Off with their thumbs!"
-Oscar
@Max, darnit, you just gave the CCSD investigative squad their conclusion to this case which they will wrap up in a couple months. After spending thousands of dollars and countless man hours investigating it will be determined students did this. I guess we should thank you for trying to save a few taxpayer dollars.
I'm no detective but I'm guessing some students are behind this dastardly deed.
HOMER. You either did not clearly read what I wrote, misread what I wrote or you can't read at all. You are excused of course if you have dislexia or have some other mental and/or reading handicap. Vandalism is a sign that society is not in control but rather out of control. How can you excuse or accept wanton destruction of public property of any kind for any reason?
Get over it- we need it in high School too and so did you guys or your friends- its part of growing up
move on and get a life
IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN CASPER THE FRIENDLY GHOST IN A BAD MOOD.