U.S. civil rights probe faults Philadelphia School District over handling of antisemitism reports

The Philadelphia school district failed to show it protected Jewish students from harassment despite “repeated, extensive notice” that students, teachers and administrators were engaging in antisemitic behavior, the U.S. Department of Education has concluded after a federal civil rights investigation.

Philadelphia school administrators did not adequately address allegations that students were performing Nazi salutes, drawing swastikas on school property and uttering slurs and threats against Jewish students — in some cases neglecting to even document the incidents, the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights found. Federal investigators also cited complaints about allegedly antisemitic social media posts by a school board member, an assistant superintendent and four teachers.

The Philadelphia district, among the largest public school systems in the U.S., did not evaluate whether a hostile environment existed in its schools, and did not demonstrate that it took steps to “eliminate any such hostile environment and prevent its recurrence,” the civil rights office said in a Dec. 18 letter to the district’s lawyers.

The letter noted that Philadelphia officials have agreed to take various steps to resolve the case. The agreement includes annual training for administrators, faculty and staff; age-appropriate anti-harassment programming for students; better documentation of complaints; and an anti-harassment statement.

“The Philadelphia School District has committed to taking essential steps to redress any hostile environment in its schools so that Jewish students, like all students, can learn in an environment free from discriminatory harassment,” Catherine E. Lhamon, assistant secretary for civil rights, said in a statement.

The Anti-Defamation League, a prominent Jewish advocacy group, was among several Jewish groups to file complaints against the district earlier this year. The Education Department opened an investigation to determine whether district officials appropriately responded to the alleged harassment as required under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination based on shared ancestry.

ADL said it hopes the agreement between the Education Department and the school district will help prevent additional harassment and targeting of Jewish students.

“We are grateful for the Jewish students and parents who had the courage to speak out against the pattern of antisemitic harassment, abuse and bullying they were experiencing,” said Jonathan Greenblatt, ADL’s chief executive officer.

ADL has filed similar complaints against other school districts, including Berkeley and Santa Ana in California.

The Philadelphia district said it “takes all complaints of bullying, harassment, and discrimination seriously, including allegations of antisemitism and Islamophobia.” The district also said it’s committed to “continue efforts to create welcoming and inclusive environments that allow our students to feel safe and heard.”

Federal investigators said they were concerned that district staff had retaliated against parents who filed complaints. In one such incident, a teacher identified the complainant by name on her Instagram account and wrote she was “taking the gloves off,” adding: “Zionism is Racism,” the civil rights office said in its letter. Another teacher reposted the first teacher’s post and wrote: “These are some disgusting, cowardly, genocide supporting fools. They thought they could hide.”

Andrew Goretsky, the director of ADL’s Philadelphia office, said ADL believes that antisemitic harassment, assault and vandalism are underreported because of fears of retaliation.

Colleges, universities and high schools nationwide saw a wave of pro-Palestinian student protests in response to Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza. The war began when Hamas attacked Israel in October 2023, taking hostages and killing 1,200 people, mostly civilians. More than 45,000 Palestinians have been killed in 14 months of war, according to Gaza’s health ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.

A congressional hearing earlier this year spotlighted antisemitism in K-12 education, with the leaders of New York City Public Schools, the Montgomery County Public Schools in Maryland, and the Berkeley Unified School District in California all vigorously denying they had failed to address hostility toward Jewish people.