Omaha, Nebraska, February 6, 2001 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) expressed shock at a plot to carry out a "Columbine-style" attack on a high school in Hoyt, Kansas, and commended law enforcement for their swift action that led to the arrest of three teen-agers and confiscation of bomb-making materials.

Police say they found firearms, 400 rounds of ammunition, bomb-making materials and a hand-drawn floor plan of the Royal Valley High School at the homes of two of the students. Police also found white supremacist literature and black trench coats similar to those worn by the gunmen involved in the Columbine High School massacre in April 1999.

Bob Wolfson, Plains States Regional Director of the ADL, issued the following statement:

The plan for violence, the capability to deliver such an attack and the presence of symbols of hate including swastikas is a combination that should send a chill up the spine of all Americans. We know what happens when hate comes to town and we know that no town is exempt from hatred and threats of violence.

But there are steps that can be taken to make sure early signals are noticed and that we all stand up against these threats. We are thankful for the response of law enforcement and the courage of a student to come forward and report the bomb-making activity to authorities. It is only through standing up against this type of activity that worse tragedies are averted.

We will be reaching out to every corner of the community to offer our experience in dealing with the growth of hate and the steps necessary to educate about what happens when hate goes unchecked. ADL is prepared to assist the schools and the community at large in fashioning proactive responses to this type of threat.

The Anti-Defamation League, founded in 1913, is the world's leading organization fighting anti-Semitism through programs and services that counteract hatred, prejudice and bigotry.