States are pushing for more scrutiny of antisemitism in schools
In the aftermath of the Oct. 7 attack on Israel by Hamas two years ago, high school teacher Josh Hirsch posted comments on social media in support of Israel. He wrote that it was unrealistic for Hamas to expect a ceasefire as long as they were holding hostages.
Soon afterward, a former student called for his firing. A note taped outside the door of his Adams County, Colorado, classroom contained his wife’s name and their home address. Additionally, a sticker appeared on his chair that read: “Israel is committing genocide in Gaza.” The reaction startled Hirsch, the only Jewish teacher in his school building. For the first time in his 14-year career, he considered quitting.
Despite the challenges, Hirsch chose to stay and joined an educators’ advocacy network created by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), seeing it as a way to make schools more inclusive of diverse viewpoints. “I’ve been a teacher and tried to keep my focus on being the best teacher I could,” he said.
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**Rising Tensions Over the Israel-Hamas War in U.S. Schools**
Tensions over the Israel-Hamas war have spilled into schools around the U.S., with advocates reporting a rise in antisemitic harassment since the 2023 surprise attack on Israel. While some argue school leaders have failed to take the threat seriously, others warn that criticism of Israel and the military campaign in Gaza are too often interpreted as hate speech.
The Trump administration has not punished school systems in the same way it has targeted colleges accused of tolerating antisemitism, but schools are still facing pressure to respond more aggressively.
Several states have pressed for new vigilance, including legislation that critics say could stifle free speech.
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**Both Conservative and Liberal States Apply More Scrutiny**
Lawmakers in Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Tennessee have passed measures to increase school accountability for antisemitism complaints. Meanwhile, a law signed by California Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, will provide training to identify and prevent antisemitism in schools.
In Arizona, however, the Democratic governor vetoed a bill on how to address reports of antisemitism in schools, calling it an attack on educators.
Many of these measures, including one signed by Oklahoma’s Republican governor, call for the adoption of a definition of antisemitism that characterizes certain criticisms of Israel as hate speech.
“These bills make it clear that Oklahoma stands with our Jewish communities and will not tolerate hatred disguised as political discourse,” said Kristen Thompson, a Republican state senator in Oklahoma who authored the legislation.
Dozens of states have adopted the definition promoted by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA), which is also recognized by the U.S. State Department. This definition lists 11 examples of antisemitic conduct, such as applying “double standards” to Israel or comparing the country’s policies to Nazism.
While supporters say this definition is necessary to combat evolving forms of Jewish hate, civil liberties groups warn that it suppresses pro-Palestinian speech.
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**Trump Administration’s Approach Contrasts with Its Actions on Colleges**
The Trump administration leveraged antisemitism investigations in its efforts to reshape higher education, suspending billions of dollars in federal funding to Harvard, Columbia, and other universities over allegations of tolerating hate speech, particularly during protests over the Israel-Hamas war.
However, the White House has not been as involved at the K-12 level. At congressional hearings, House Republicans have scrutinized large school systems over their handling of antisemitism, but the administration has largely left enforcement to the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights.
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**Investigations and Lawsuits Highlight Ongoing Issues**
One case under investigation involves complaints against the Berkeley Unified School District in California, where students allegedly asked Jewish classmates what “their number is,” referencing the numbers tattooed on Jews during the Holocaust. The complaint also cited antisemitic comments by teachers and walkouts praising Hamas. The district did not respond to requests for comment.
In another California case, the family of a 14-year-old girl filed a federal lawsuit last year alleging she had to leave University Preparatory Academy, a charter school in San Jose, in 2023 due to antisemitic bullying. After the Hamas attack, she reported being called names like “terrorist.” The California Department of Education and the school declined to comment on pending litigation.
Nationwide, the ADL recorded 860 antisemitic incidents in non-Jewish schools last year, ranging from name-calling and swastikas etched on lockers to antisemitic materials taught in classrooms. Although this number was down from over 1,100 incidents recorded in 2023, it remains significantly higher than in previous years.
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**A Massachusetts Teachers Union Pushes Back**
A Massachusetts state commission formed last year to combat antisemitism found it to be a “pervasive and escalating problem” in schools.
At one meeting, commission co-chair and Democratic state Rep. Simon Cataldo said the Massachusetts Teachers Association (MTA) was sharing antisemitic resources with teachers. Examples included a kindergarten workbook describing Zionists as “bullies” and an image of a Star of David made of dollar bills.
The union responded by saying these materials were singled out from hundreds of images relating to Palestinians, and links to those materials were removed. The MTA also stated it actively confronts increases in both antisemitism and Islamophobia, accusing the commission of “offensive political theater.”
“Those who manipulate antisemitism to achieve political objectives such as undermining labor unions and public educators are following the lead of the Trump administration,” the union said in a statement.
Margaret Litvin, an associate professor of Arabic and comparative literature at Boston University, argued that the commission was “deliberately conflating criticism of Israel with prejudice against Jews and bias against Jews.” She warned that this approach could justify “heavy-handed” interference by the state in school district affairs.
Litvin is a co-founder of the Boston-area Concerned Jewish Faculty and Staff group.
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**Controversy Reaches the Nation’s Largest Teachers Union**
The tension has extended to the National Education Association (NEA), the largest teachers union in the U.S., which this summer considered a proposal to drop ADL classroom materials used to teach about the Holocaust and bias.
Supporters of the proposal argued that the ADL exerted an outsized influence on school curricula and policy, including an underlying pro-Israel viewpoint.
Delegates at the union’s representative assembly narrowly voted to approve the proposal, but it was ultimately overruled by the NEA board of directors.
Union President Becky Pringle stated the proposal “would not further NEA’s commitment to academic freedom, our membership, or our goals.”
In response, the ADL invited K-12 educators to join a new network called BEACON: Building Educator Allies for Change, Openness, and Networks. This initiative aims to help educators learn from each other how to address and combat antisemitism and other forms of hate.
Hirsch, the teacher from Colorado, was among hundreds who expressed interest.
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**Navigating Complex Community Reactions**
Some of the backlash Hirsch faced stemmed from his online commentary about local activist organizations.
After donating money to Black Lives Matter groups and supporting them with a sign in his yard, Hirsch expressed feelings of betrayal upon seeing these groups express support for Palestinians but not Israel.
He said he was surprised by the reaction to his posts within his predominantly Hispanic school community.
A former debate coach, Hirsch now aims through his work with the ADL network to help students share their opinions in constructive ways.
“If we’re giving them the opportunity to hate and we’re giving them the opportunity to make enemies of someone, it really is counterproductive to what we’re trying to do as a society,” he said.
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*The Associated Press’ education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters, and funded coverage areas at AP.org.*
https://ktar.com/national-news/states-are-pushing-for-more-scrutiny-of-antisemitism-in-schools/5773143/
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