WASHINGTON — Leaders from some of the largest public-school districts in the nation faced heated questions from a House panel Wednesday about incidents of antisemitism in their schools.
The hearing hit close to home; Montgomery County Public Schools was one of three school districts under examination.
The 2022-2023 school year saw antisemitic incidents like graffiti depicting Nazi symbols and harassment of Jewish students. This hearing was meant to determine what’s being done to stop it.
House Republican leaders questioned school leaders from New York City; Berkeley, California; and Montgomery County, Maryland.
Republican Rep. Aaron Bean (R-Florida) served at the subcommittee chair.
“The topic of today's hearing is particularly troubling,” said Bean. “It's hard to grasp how antisemitism has become such a dominant force in our K-12 schools. Some kids as young as second grade are spewing Nazi propaganda.”
Each of the three school districts are home to a large number of Jewish students, and each has faced complaints about the handling of antisemitic incidents.
Bean said, “MCPS schools have been home to student walk-outs featuring calls to kill the Jews, bring Hitler back, and what’s worse – the administrator approved excused absences for the walkouts in violation of district policy.”
Montgomery County Board of Education President Karla Silvestre was among the school leaders responding to reports of antisemitism in their district and asked how it’s being handled.
“I know the committee is aware of recent press reports and public complaints of antisemitic imagery, language, and vandalism in our district,” said Silvestre. “Let me be clear, we do not shy away from imposing consequences for hate based behavior including antisemitism.”
The hearing, at times was fiery:
Rep. Bean: “Have you expelled students and teachers?
Silvestre: “In terms of speaking first about teachers, we have taken action in some cases.”
Rep. Bean: “You've gotten rid of teachers? You've said they don't belong in Montgomery County schools? Has that happened?
Silvestre: “We have taken disciplinary action, yes.”
Rep. Bean: “Have you fired anybody?”
Silvestre: “No.”
Silvestre went into detail about ways Montgomery County Public Schools is working to combat antisemitism.
“We have enhanced our Jewish experience education starting younger, going into the elementary grades, training teachers so they can implement holocaust education in the 6th grade,” said Silvestre. “For the first time we are having hate bias training starting this summer for all staff. Twenty-five thousand employees in our school system.”
For additional context, WUSA9 spoke with Guilia Franklin Siegel with the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington who was present at the hearing.
She is working closely with Montgomery County Public Schools and says teachers and administrators have a tough time dealing with incidents of antisemitism because it’s such a hot button issue.
“There absolutely has been a chilling effect among teachers and principals and other administrators who are afraid of engaging with these issues at all out of the fear of being perceived as quote 'taking sides,'” she said.
“But it is not taking sides in this conflict to have a zero tolerance policy for antisemitism or for Islamophobia for that matter.”
The Zionist Organization of America recently filed a civil rights complaint against Montgomery County Public Schools, claiming a failure to properly address antisemitic incidents within the district.
Meanwhile, a separate House committee had planned to hold a hearing for reports of antisemitism on the George Washington University Campus Wednesday, but it was canceled after DC Police cleared the encampment there.