A Democratic Washoe County candidate filed a police report Monday after a campaign sign was tagged with black face in Reno. The sign belonging to Verita Black Prothro, who is running for public administrator, also had been vandalized so her maiden name, “Black,” was crossed out.

Prothro, a black candidate who said she has emphasized inclusion in her campaign, told The Nevada Independent that she was “horrified” when she found out about the incident last night after her friend sent her a picture he had taken yesterday. The sign was on the corner of Arrowcreek Parkway and Wedge Parkway near the South Valley Sports Complex in Reno.

“I was absolutely horrified,” she said. “There is a certain amount of graffiti that you expect on signs. I expected mustaches or horns — something like that. But not black face.”

Prothro, a Reno native, said her family has lived in Nevada since the 1940s and that she has never experienced discrimination that rose to the level on the vandalized sign.

“I grew up here in Reno, but that’s not the Reno I grew up in,” she said. “It’s been a good place for us, which is one of the reasons I wanted to serve the community and run for office,” she added. “But I have to tell you: This really rattled me because it seemed intimidating.”

Prothro is running for public administrator against Don Cavallo, a longtime incumbent who has served in the position since 1987 with the exception of one term. Since the sign was tweeted this morning, Prothro said that she has received an “outpouring” of support.

“It’s good for people to see that even in this caustic political environment, actions like this are unacceptable,” she said.