Three Jewish advocacy groups have filed a federal complaint against the Fulton County school district in Atlanta, alleging that Jewish and Israeli students have faced antisemitic bullying since the Israel-Hamas war began on October 7. The complaint accuses the school district of failing to take action and creating a hostile climate that allows antisemitism to thrive. The district has denied the allegations, stating that efforts to depict them as promoting or tolerating antisemitism are false. The complaint was filed under Title IV of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination based on race, color, and national origin.
This complaint is part of a wave of antisemitism allegations against schools and universities across the country. The Anti-Defamation League filed a similar complaint against the Philadelphia school district in July, prompting investigations by the Department of Education into seven schools and universities for alleged antisemitism or Islamophobia. The Israel-Hamas war has sparked activism in educational institutions, with Hamas killing 1,200 people and taking hostages in an attack against Israel on October 7. Over 40,000 Palestinians have been killed, and approximately 1.9 million people have been displaced from Gaza since the conflict began.
The complaint against the Fulton County school district details verbal attacks against Jewish students since the start of the Israel-Hamas war, as well as instances of pro-Palestinian sentiment being perceived as intimidating. Examples include students wearing keffiyehs, a symbol of the Palestinian movement, shouting “Free Palestine” at Jewish students. Other incidents involved students making derogatory comments towards Israeli peers, including calls for bombings. Jewish parents met with school district leaders in late October to address complaints of antisemitism and cosplay as Hamas members, offering to arrange antisemitic training. However, the district leadership declined to take action and ignored numerous complaints.
The school district maintains that it takes complaints seriously and investigates inappropriate behavior brought to its attention. The organizations behind the complaint, the Louis D. Brandeis Center For Human Rights Under Law, Jewish Americans for Fairness in Education, and the National Jewish Advocacy Center, have requested the district to denounce antisemitism, discipline teachers and students for antisemitic behavior, and consider ways to improve the experiences of Jewish students. The complaint highlights the challenges faced by Jewish and Israeli students in educational settings during times of conflict and calls for greater efforts to address and prevent antisemitism.
