An 8th-grade Colorado Jewish student was called a ‘stupid k***’ while being strangled by a laptop charging cord, in one of many antisemitic assaults by other students described in a Title VI complaint to Boulder Valley Public School District.
Colorado
Kaidan Mbereko, Colorado College gets late bounce, knocks off Denver in Game 1
Colorado College has had so many nights this season when the Tigers felt like they played well, but some bit of adversity went against them.
The Tigers got a bounce they desperately needed Friday night.
Sophomore defenseman Brady Cleveland scored with 3:43 remaining in the third period, and the sixth-seeded Tigers knocked off third-seeded University of Denver, 3-1, in Game 1 of a best-of-three NCHC conference tournament series Friday night at Magness Arena.
“You’re just really proud of (Cleveland),” CC coach Kris Mayotte said. “He’s come in here and worked his tail off and continued to get better. You need your big boys to be big boys in these moments, but you also need your unsung heroes to kind of rise up and get something like that for us.”
Kaidan Mbereko was fantastic in net for the Tigers, turning aside 32 shots. Matt Davis, who put together a historic postseason a year ago and led DU to its NCAA-record 10th national championship, had a strong night as well with 20 saves.
Cleveland’s shot from the top of the zone broke a DU player’s stick and re-directed into the Pioneers net to give CC its first lead of the game. It was also the first goal of Cleveland’s NCAA career, in his 52nd game.
“It’s something pretty special,” said Cleveland, who transferred from Wisconsin after his freshman season. “I think about all the extra reps and all the stuff people don’t see behind the scenes that led up to this moment. It’s pretty special knowing the hard work finally pays off. It’s something I’ll remember the rest of the my life.”
Ty Gallagher scored 32 seconds into a 5-on-3 for the Tigers to bring CC level early in the third period. DU’s Rieger Lorenz had a shorthanded chance, but barreled into Mbereko and was called for charging. It was Gallagher’s seventh goal of the season, which leads the CC defense corps.
Jack Devine gave the Pios the lead at 13:38 of the second period on a goal mouth scramble shortly after an offensive-zone faceoff. It was Devine’s 13th goal and team-leading 51st point of the season.
The Pios had a faceoff in the CC end in part because Tigers forward Gleb Veremyev was laying on the ice in pain at the other end. When DU transitioned the puck out of the defensive zone and away from Veremyev, the officials let play continue — much to the chagrin of a very animated Mayotte.
Junior center Noah Laba added an empty-netter for the Tigers in the final minute.
Despite allowing the only goal, the Tigers were much better in the middle period. Davis had very little to do in the first period, but needed to make several saves on shots from the slot in the second.
Mbereko kept the Tigers afloat despite a hot start from the Pioneers. Denver had the first 12 shots on goal of the game, and it took more than 10 minutes for CC to get its first shot on Davis.
“Unbelievable performance,” Laba said. “We know he has always has that in him. For him to go out there and show out in a big game is huge. We’re going to need him from here on out.”
DU retained the Gold Pan for the sixth straight season, winning three of the four regular-season matchups. Three of the games were tied in the third period, and the other ended up a one-goal contest.
Both of these teams got off to great starts to this season. The Pioneers set a program record by winning their first 12 games, spending eight weeks at No. 1 in both major polls. The Tigers won eight straight at the start, climbing as high as No. 8 in the national rankings.
Colorado College stumbled through January, losing seven of nine at one point, and the Tigers’ only path to an NCAA tournament bid is winning this series, then winning twice next weekend at the NCHC Frozen Faceoff in St. Paul, Minn.
DU entered this weekend at No. 9 in the Pairwise rankings, solidly in the NCAA field of 16, but what seed the Pios land is still to be determined.
Game 2 of this series is Saturday night at Magness, with Game 3 on Sunday evening if necessary.
“We know what they’re going to do, and they obviously know what we’re going to do,” Cleveland said. “It just comes down to who’s going to perform better. We came out on top, and we’re going to do it again.”
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Originally Published:
The ADL (the Anti-Defamation League) has filed a federal civil rights complaint with the US Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, alleging that Jewish Student A was subjected to repeated antisemitic bullying, slurs, and physical assault by multiple fellow students at Southern Hills Middle School (SHMS) throughout 7th and 8th grade.
In one incident, students in Student A’s PE class attempted to play a game called “Jew touch tag” and said Jews were “dirty” and “contaminated.”
In another, in December 2025, a classmate reportedly fashioned a Chromebook charging cord into a lasso, threw it around the student’s neck and dragged him backward from a chair while calling him a “stupid k***.” This was deemed severe enough that the Boulder Police Department was called in to investigate.
Following this particular incident, the Boulder Police Department opened a Juvenile Court Referral for third-degree assault.
ADL says no meaningful action taken by school district over assault
As a result of these incidents, Student A no longer wears a Star of David necklace and does not share his religious identity with anyone.
ADL and the family allege that the school took no meaningful action despite being informed of the situation on multiple occasions. For example, the complaint says the school failed to enforce the no-contact order between Student A and the classmate involved in the Chromebook assault.
The complaint also says that the burden was consistently placed on the victim, such as reassigning his study hall class rather than restricting the aggressor, forcing him to miss a school trip, and asking him to leave class early to avoid crowded hallways.
“The record here is overwhelming: written pleas from the student’s parents, formal school reports, and a police investigation all point to the conclusion that antisemitic harassment at Southern Hills Middle School was pervasive, escalating, and severe,” said James Pasch, ADL Vice President of Litigation.
“Despite the family’s pleas for help to stop the harassment, the school district failed to effectively address it, a clear violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. No family should have to fight this hard to ensure a Jewish child’s safety at school, and certainly no Jewish student should face the threat of assault or harassment because of their Jewish identity.”
Susan Rona, ADL Mountain States Regional Director, noted that 167 antisemitic incidents were recorded in Colorado in 2025, a “stark reminder that antisemitism is not something abstract – it is showing up in our communities, in our neighborhoods and even in our schools.”
ADL is requesting that the US Department of Education require the district to take steps to comply with Title VI and ensure that this student and all Jewish students feel safe and protected.
Boulder Valley School District said that while it does not comment on ongoing legal matters, “we take all allegations of discrimination and harassment seriously.”
“We continue to focus on improvements to our policies, reporting systems, practices, and education efforts – all with the goal of ensuring every BVSD student feels safe, welcomed, and a strong sense of belonging.”
When you walk inside the Conoco station at the corner of University Boulevard and Bonnie Brae Boulevard in Denver, you can’t help but notice the history on the walls.
“Here’s the 40s. The 50s and my dad and uncle in the 70s,” says owner Ken Wilson pointing to the pictures on the wall.
Ken is the third generation of the Wilson family to own the gas station and service center.
“Grandpa Ken started to lease this out in 1942. My dad bought the business from my grandpa and my uncle worked his whole career here for my dad and for me,” Ken recalls.
In all, the Wilson family has owned the Conoco station for more than 80 years.
“I started working here in 1978 when I was 12, just part time in the summers. I worked through high school and through college and then did my own thing, and I’ve been back here about 15 years,” said Ken.
“It means so much to our family. It’s been a great business.”
But Ken is the end of the road for the Wilson family ownership. In February, a for sale sign went up at the Bonnie Brae Conoco.
“We’re just looking now. We’re not in a rush. It’s not like we’re going to sell and be done this year. We’re going to get a price we want to get, and if it takes us years to do that’s okay,” he said.
Wilson has seen a lot of change during his time working at the station and service center.
“There aren’t a lot of garages anymore. They used to be everywhere. There were four of them on this block when I was a kid, he said.
When asked what he’ll miss most, Ken points to his relationship with his customers.
“I’ve had customers now where I actually waited on their grandparents. And then their parents. And now them.”
As for what his grandpa would say if he could see the place now, Ken says, “I think he’d say he was really proud of what we’ve done. Both my father, my uncle and myself. Hopefully he’s still hanging around here once in a while.”
The Colorado Buffaloes are still putting the finishing touches on their 2027 class over the next few months, but their 2028 recruiting plan continues to take shape.
Earlier this week, Deion Sanders’ staff extended an offer to one of the top prospects in the class of 2028, composite five-star wide receiver Jaylen Addai. Addai now holds 43 offers, including one from nearly every blue-blood program in the country.
247Sports’ Composite currently ranks Addai as the No. 12 overall prospect in the 2028 class, the No. 3 overall wide receiver and the top player from the state of Texas.
At 5-foot-11, 165 pounds, the Pearland, Texas native fits the mold of the modern-day receiver. He seems likely to fill into his frame given his youth. Addai is a multiple-sport athlete with elite athleticism on the field, on the basketball court and on the track.
Given how early it is in Addai’s recruitment, several teams are in contention for his commitment, with Notre Dame and Ohio State leading the way early. When the 2028 cycle picks up later this year, who really has a chance should come into focus, especially when visits begin.
Colorado’s 2028 class does not have any commitments yet, but has offers out to 28 different wide receiver prospects.
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