As organizations filed a federal civil rights brief with the Department of Education, a local school district is being accused of ignoring antisemitic bullying and failing to protect Jewish kids.
The Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law, the Anti-Defamation League, and a law firm are putting pressure on Concord-Carlisle Regional School District officials.
According to the Title VI Complaint submitted to the Office for Civil Rights at the Department of Education, a Jewish boy who ultimately left the school district due to claimed antisemitic harassment experienced a hostile atmosphere.
In the federal lawsuit, they noted a concerning trend of antisemitic bullying, slurs, threats, and retaliation at Concord-Carlisle High School and Concord Middle School. The groups claim that despite receiving multiple allegations over the years, district and school authorities have done nothing about it.
It took time for Concord-Carlisle’s hostile atmosphere to develop. According to Samantha Joseph, regional director for ADL New England, it was permitted to establish itself and endure. Jewish students found themselves in a hostile and alienating environment at the school.
Although the majority of the filing centers on a single student who experienced the most severe abuse, Joseph noted that this was not an isolated incident and that there is convincing proof that this was and is a systemic problem.
Nazi salutes in the hallways, pupils splitting into teams dubbed Team Auschwitz and Team Hamas during sporting events, swastikas scrawled in notebooks and on school property, and the usage of antisemitic obscenities like “kike,” “dirty Jew,” and “go to the gas chamber” were among the claimed abuses.
According to reports, the head of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging dismissed worries about the word “kike” being used as a microaggression.
In a statement, Concord-Carlisle Superintendent Laurie Hunter stated that the district does not condone antisemitic behavior among its pupils.
According to Hunter, every report is thoroughly examined and handled promptly and seriously. An anonymous reporting mechanism, comprehensive response procedures, and continual staff and student training are all features of the schools.
In order to coordinate its efforts to combat antisemitism in the Concord community and schools, the district maintains close contacts with local Jewish religious leaders in a number of communities, the superintendent continued. To make sure we have up-to-date data on students’ sense of belonging in our schools, we poll students, families, and staff on a regular basis.
According to Hunter, the district is working with the Office for Civil Rights. Officials are constantly seeking input on how to improve our procedures, policies, and initiatives.
In a statement, Concord-based state representative Simon Cataldo, a co-chair of the state’s Special Commission on Combatting Antisemitism, said that these accusations and the numerous antisemitic incidents that occur in K–12 schools give the commission’s work more importance.
According to Cataldo, schools are more often than not on the front lines of addressing societal issues. There is no exception to the growing wave of antisemitism that has terrified Jewish families throughout the state and in my own neighborhood.
He went on to say that Massachusetts must provide school personnel, families, and kids with the tools, best practices, and training they need to successfully combat antisemitism and other hate crimes.
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Later this month, the commission intends to publish, talk about, and even suggest actions to combat antisemitism in K–12 environments.
