Changes are being made to how the Washoe County Regional Animal Services coordinates its technology for meetings and remote comments after a racist, vile zoom bombing took place.
The incident happened about 30 minutes into the meeting Friday while board member Diaz Dixon was speaking.
“We sincerely apologize for the extremely offensive material that was displayed during this incident. The content was deeply inappropriate and does not reflect the values of WCRAS or our commitment to fostering a respectful and inclusive space for public discussion,” the Washoe County Regional Animal Services wrote.
“Though staff was able to swiftly end the disruption by shutting down the virtual meeting, we regret that this resulted in the loss of virtual attendees. We understand the importance of public participation and are taking this matter seriously. Our IT team is actively investigating the incident to identify how the intrusion occurred and to strengthen security measures to prevent future disruptions.”
Dixon gave his own account on his Facebook.
“Maybe 45 minutes into the meeting, I started to speak when all of the sudden, the meeting was Zoom Bombed. The screen and meeting was overtaken by a Klansman in his klan garb, screaming racial rhetoric and who knows what. As staff raced to shut it down, I simply looked down and went into my own world. I didn't hear what he said or even see the horrible things that continued to pop up on the screen. It was turned off and I went back to my comments I was making to the director. At the end of the meeting, others talked about how shook they were.”
Our Town Reno reporting, February 2025