Complaint: “Virulent wave of antisemitism” swept through Philadelphia schools after Oct. 7
New York, NY, July 23, 2024 … ADL (the Anti-Defamation League), represented pro bono by the law firm Mayer Brown LLP, today filed a federal civil rights complaint on behalf of Jewish parents whose children have been subjected to “severe and persistent harassment and discrimination” at the hands of fellow students and teachers in the School District of Philadelphia (SDP).
The Title VI complaint, filed with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, alleges that over the past nine months since Oct. 7, the Philadelphia school district has knowingly allowed its grade K through 12 schools to become “viciously hostile” environments for Jewish students, while failing to address numerous incidents of antisemitic harassment, bullying, and discrimination.
Immediately after the 10/7 Hamas massacre on Israel, “a virulent wave of antisemitism swept through its schools,” the complaint states. And ever since then, Jewish students have been subjected to openly antisemitic bullying and harassment by teachers and peers in hallways, in classrooms and online.
“Since the October 7 attack, the Philadelphia Schools have fostered a toxic environment that has allowed antisemitism against Jewish students to metastasize and fester without repercussions,” said James Pasch, ADL Senior Director of National Litigation. “What’s worse, the district has encouraged a rampant culture of retaliation and fear that has prevented Jewish parents and students from coming forward.”
According to the ADL complaint, Jewish parents have regularly reported a host of troubling incidents affecting their children to the SDP administration, but the district has done virtually nothing to address the hostile environment. In fact, the complaint notes, students and parents who have reported antisemitic incidents have themselves faced blatant retaliation.
“Philadelphia schools have a long history of providing a safe and welcoming environment for students of all identities. However, in the recent past – and especially in the aftermath of October 7th – we've seen a stark rise in incidents and attitudes that alienate Jewish students, faculty and families,” said Andrew Goretsky, ADL Philadelphia Regional Director. “Jewish students face a shameful and pervasive litany of antisemitic harassment from their peers, and teachers and administrators, the professionals tasked with our children’s education. This pattern is dangerous, completely unacceptable, and needs to stop now.”
Some examples of incidents outlined in the complaint include:
- An eighth-grade Jewish student at an SDP school who was severely bullied by a fellow student who approached him and said, “f--- you” and “free Palestine;” the following day the student was again approached with similar comments, and later the victim was confronted with taunts including, “Praise Hitler” and a Nazi salute. The response from the school was so inadequate that the student was forced to drop out of the district.
- A fourth-grade Jewish student at the Penn Alexander School who was bullied both in the hallways (with demands that she say “Free Palestine”), and virtually (with a computer quiz that asked “What do we hate?,” with the “two right answer[s]” being “Israel and Pork.”).
- The appearance of swastikas at multiple schools in the SDP, including Masterman, Southwark School, Swenson Arts & Technology High School, and George Washington High School.
- On Halloween, just weeks after October 7, a student at Masterman came to school dressed as a Palestinian freedom fighter and attempted to drape a Palestinian flag over a Jewish student. The principal of the school then publicly praised the costume.
- The erasure of Israel from a map handed out in a geography class at Baldi Middle School.
- Several SDP teachers and administrators have used their platform within the district to distribute antisemitic content, including professional development classes and lectures in which “Zionists” were referred to as “exterminators,” and to create a hostile environment for Jewish students. Among other things, these SDP teachers have also used their publicly available social media feeds – which are a virtual extension of their classrooms – to spread hateful antisemitic tropes, as well as virulently anti-Israel and anti-“Zionist” messages.
The complaint urges the U.S. Dept. of Education to appoint an independent investigator to examine the school climate. It also calls for the district to take a series of proactive steps to protect Jewish and Israeli students, and to ensure that members of the school community are held accountable for harassment or discriminatory conduct.
“It is profoundly disheartening to witness such unbridled and pervasive hatred towards Jews manifesting within the public schools of Philadelphia,” stated members of the steering committee of the School District of Philadelphia’s Jewish Family Association. “While our country is far from flawless, it is rooted in principles that enable our ongoing growth and evolution. No individual should endure the torrents of animosity, vitriol, violence, and baseless accusations that have been directed at our Jewish students, exacerbated by the very educators and administrators entrusted with their safety. The pursuit of inclusivity and equity, safeguarding all minorities, including Jews, from the scourge of hatred, is an inviolable cornerstone that must never be compromised.”
Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination based on race, color and national origin, including discrimination against Jews on the basis of their actual or perceived shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics, in educational institutions that receive federal funding. Under the law, harassing, marginalizing, demonizing, and excluding Jewish students based on the Zionist component of their Jewish identity is unlawful.
Since Oct. 7, ADL has filed several similar civil rights and legal complaints against other public school districts for creating a hostile environment for Jewish students, including the Berkeley Unified School District and the Santa Ana Unified School District (SAUSD).
ADL is the leading anti-hate organization in the world. Founded in 1913, its timeless mission is “to stop the defamation of the Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment to all.” Today, ADL continues to fight all forms of antisemitism and bias, using innovation and partnerships to drive impact. A global leader in combating antisemitism, countering extremism and battling bigotry wherever and whenever it happens, ADL works to protect democracy and ensure a just and inclusive society for all. More at www.adl.org.
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