Public school leaders grilled on Capitol Hill over antisemitic incidents in grade schools
WASHINGTON (TND) — Members of Congress turned to K-12 schools after college protests and antisemitic incidents erupted across the country. Some members on Capitol Hill believe grade school is where antisemitism begins, while school administrators pushed back on the claim that antisemitism is running rampant through their halls.
House Republicans grilled three school leaders from large school districts and liberal cities nationwide. The school officials from New York City, Berkeley, California, and Montgomery County, Maryland have all faced allegations of antisemitic incidents in their schools, including hate speech and harassment.
The very need for this hearing is a travesty. The aftermath of Oct. 7 has revealed some of the ugliest, most deprived ideas once marginalized from polite society and our education system has failed to stop it. It's not just anti-Israel, it's anti-American, it's anti-democracy," said Rep. Arron Bean, R-Fla., who led the hearing.Two of the school systems face civil rights investigations.
“Our babies sometimes say harmful things. We are mindful that all kids make mistakes. We know that our staff are not immune to mistakes either," said Berkeley Unified School District Superintendent Enikia Ford Morthel.
"However, antisemitism is not pervasive in Berkeley Unified School District," she added.
Jewish students and parents gathered before the hearing to call out antisemitism they’ve seen in their schools. They say the issues have fallen on deaf ears from school leaders.
A 15-year-old Jewish boy was punched and kicked in Midland Brooklyn, my very own brother was afraid to go to school because of protestors," said Nisan Safanov, a sophomore at Stuyvesant High School in New York.When asked if he believed anyone needed to be fired, Safanov said he wanted to see officials act first.
“I don’t think people necessarily need to get fired, I think they need to open their eyes. Realize the situation, handle it," he said.
Tamar Caspi was part of a group of Jewish parents who traveled from California looking for solutions.
“Our Jewish teachers and our Jewish students are simply not safe, and nobody is holding the schools accountable," she said.
On the other side of the argument is the right of students to express themselves freely in public schools. Free speech activist Mary Beth Tinker won a Supreme Court case in the 1960s over the ability to protest the Vietnam War. She said students should have the right to protest the war in Gaza now.
Hate speech is wrong and we should teach students how to get along with each other and respect each other from the early ages, definitely. But to call someone antisemitic who is just speaking up for the rights of Palestinians and what's going on in Gaza...it is wrong to attack students just for speaking up for Palestinians," she said.Political Director of Parents Defending Education Alex Nester joined The National Desk Tuesday evening to discuss how the leaders asked to testify handled the questioning thrown their way.
"I think there was a lot of, you know, moving around, walking around the incident, walking around the real issues of what actually happened in these school districts," Nester explained. "We know in each case there were students chanting 'Death to the Jews, bring back Hitler.' These insanely disgusting comments. And, you know, in some cases, like in New York City with Chancellor Banks, it does look like he disciplined some kids there. In other cases, we're not entirely sure."
Nester said solving the problem will take work and that the "main causes" at the school district level must be rooted out, despite her belief that the hearing was a step in the right direction. She mentioned a push for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and curriculum or lessons that "teach people to separate one another by race," as potential causes.
The same committee previously grilled college presidents over their handling of antisemitism on campuses.
That led to the Harvard and Penn Presidents stepping down and came before the protests and tensions that have gripped schools nationwide.
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