The Department of Education announced an investigation on Thursday into Baltimore City Public Schools (BCPS) in Baltimore, Maryland, over allegations of antisemitic harassment.
The department’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) said it is looking into whether the school district violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 after receiving a complaint accusing BCPS of tolerating several incidents of antisemitic discrimination and harassment by teachers and non-Jewish students against Jewish students.
According to the department, the complaint specifically alleges that the district has allowed “egregious and persistent discrimination” against students in several schools. The complaint details several incidents, including BCPS continuing to employ a teacher who allegedly “threatened to ‘go all Nazi’ on [his] students…and personally directed Nazi salutes towards a Jewish student.”
The complaint details several incidents where the district allegedly failed to properly intervene in incidents of non-Jewish students bulling Jewish classmates, “including by performing Nazi salutes on the playground, drawing Nazi graffiti on desks and in textbooks, and telling Jewish students that ‘6 million [Jews] was not enough,’ that ‘all Jews should die,’ and that ‘we should call Hamas and have them come here,”‘ the department said in a press release.
“Jewish students have reported feeling afraid to walk down the hallways alone and are unable to focus on schoolwork,” according to the department.
Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Craig Trainor called the allegations “appalling and infuriating.” He said:
When a teacher allegedly directs a Nazi salute toward a Jewish student, or non-Jewish students harass their Jewish contemporaries by saying ‘all Jews should die,’ we are not simply talking about contemptible bullying; we are talking about a shocking abdication of educator responsibility that constitutes unlawful anti-Semitic harassment under Title VI.
“If true, these allegations confirm a disturbing trend: too many of our nation’s educational institutions are failing American students by inculcating in them a loathing for their own country and fellow citizens and a tolerance and acceptance for a deeply destructive ancient hatred,” he continued. “The Trump-McMahon Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights will vigorously investigate this matter and ensure American Jewish students can learn and flourish in an environment free from unlawful discrimination.”
When Breitbart News reached out to BCPS for comment, a spokesperson said the district “cannot comment specifically about the pending litigation,” but maintains the same “response and diligence in addressing this issue” since a board meeting on July 22. The spokesperson appeared to reference an incident in which an unauthorized person hijacked the meeting with a pornographic video that the district previously described as “antisemitic, racist, and obscene adult material.”
Baltimore City Public Schools told Breitbart News:
Baltimore City Public Schools (City Schools) is committed to fostering a culture of tolerance, respect, and civility. Bullying and harassment have no place in our schools, and we unequivocally reject antisemitism and hate in any form.
After the July 22 Board of School Commissioners meeting, City Schools issued a message outlining our continued response to the antisemitic and racist hate crime that occurred during the meeting. Since then, additional concerns have been raised by the Anti-Defamation League regarding antisemitic bullying and harassment in some of our schools.
City Schools stands in solidarity with our Jewish community and with all who seek to create safe, inclusive, and respectful learning environments. We have condemned hateful behavior and taken action to hold students and staff accountable when our values and policies are violated.
We want to be clear:
- We are committed to ensuring all schools are safe and welcoming environments for students, including members of our Jewish community.
- We encourage anyone with concerns about bullying and harassment to report them. When issues are brought to our attention, we take diligent student-centered action to investigate and resolve them.
- We are aware of some of the incidents referenced in the recent complaint involving antisemitism. We addressed the issues at the time and provided updates as appropriate to each impacted school community about our actions.
We aim to inform the school communities, within the limits of student and staff privacy laws, and, in some instances, sponsored restorative circles or hosted engagement events to hear feedback.
We are prepared to investigate and address future concerns as they are raised through our reporting processes, with goals to determine the facts and act in the best interests of students. We encourage anyone with information to report it directly to their school or to visit our Fair Practices Office webpage to file a report.
While there may be differing views on how we may have responded to specific events, our commitment to inclusive, respectful schools has been consistent.
We will continue to hold individuals accountable and stand ready to work in partnership, with individuals, community groups, and state and federal agencies, to ensure that all students learn in environments where they feel safe, valued, and respected.
The Department of Education noted that Title VI prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, and national origin in education programs and activities receiving federal funding.
Katherine Hamilton is a political reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow her on X @thekat_hamilton.
