A major lawsuit has been filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, alleging that the California public school system has tolerated an environment of harassment and discrimination targeting Jewish and Israeli students. The lawsuit was filed against the state of California by the Louis D. Brandeis Center and the organization StandWithUS on behalf of Jewish parents.

The filing details "persistent and pervasive harassment" across multiple public school districts. Affected areas include Los Angeles, Santa Clara, San Francisco, Berkeley, and Oakland.

Specific Allegations

The lawsuit lists several specific incidents to support the allegations. At University Preparatory Academy in Santa Clara County, a 7th-grade student was reportedly chased by two other students who shouted "we want you dead" after he spoke Hebrew; the filing claims the school failed to take adequate action.

In another incident at Kester Elementary School within LAUSD, a 3rd-grade student was allegedly called a "racist" by a teacher and barred from participating in a talent show. Additionally, at Louis Armstrong Middle School, a 7th-grade student was repeatedly disciplined by a teacher for wearing a Star of David necklace and a shirt related to Israel. The lawsuit also alleges that some teachers played a role in tolerating or directly participating in discriminatory acts, creating a long-standing environment of hate.

Demands from the Plaintiffs

Jewish organizations have made several demands to the court to rectify the situation. They request that the court:

  • Monitor schools where issues have occurred.
  • Remove hateful instructional content.
  • Implement mandatory anti-Semitism training for teachers and administrators.

Melissa Alexander, a Los Angeles parent, emphasized that every child deserves a safe and respectful learning environment. Rabbi Noah Farkas, President and CEO of the Jewish Federation, added that there are more than 50,000 Jewish students enrolled in the Los Angeles public school system and that existing anti-hate laws must be strictly enforced.

At the time the lawsuit was announced, the state of California had not yet issued an official response. The case has now moved to the litigation phase in state court.