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As his four-year term in office came to an end last week, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin released a report and recommendations required by Executive Order 48, which was issued by Youngkin last May to address and fight antisemitism in Virginia’s public K-12 schools and higher education institutions.
Executive Order 48 built on Executive Order 8, signed on Youngkin’s first day as governor in 2022, that established a state commission to combat antisemitism.
Throughout his governorship, Youngkin demonstrated a deep and steadfast commitment to countering rising antisemitism with state-level initiatives, and the Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM) commends him for the exemplary leadership he exhibited.
“Since Day One, I have made it clear that we will not rest until antisemitism and anti-religious bigotry are driven out of our campuses, classrooms, and Commonwealth,” Youngkin stated with the report’s release. “This report not only lays out the history of our efforts since the first days of our Administration, it also details the progress we have made since our comprehensive EO 48. While we have great work yet to do as a Commonwealth, I am proud that my team is handing off one of the strongest programs to combat antisemitism in the country to the next administration.”
Read the full report HERE.
The list of actions taken in Virginia since last May included:
The Superintendent of Public Instruction provided every school division with actionable resources that encouraged the inclusion of the following within student codes of conduct —
1. The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Working Definition of Antisemitism
2. Prohibition of conduct related to antisemitism which incorporates:
- Harassment and discrimination against Jewish individuals, in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
- Anti-discrimination regulations issued by the United States Department of Education and United States Department of Justice
- Relevant state-level anti-discrimination laws
The Superintendent of Public Instruction encouraged every local school division to ensure that teachers are using available high-quality, complete, and accurate instructional materials to teach about Judaism, Jewish heritage and history, the Holocaust, and Israel.
The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) adopted a model resolution that includes in Student Codes of Conduct the IHRA definition of antisemitism and language that prohibits conduct related to the harassment and discrimination of Jewish individuals. Every public higher education institution in Virginia is now discussing and voting on adoption of the model resolution.
The working group created by EO48 provided recommendations for the design of a comprehensive reporting and tracking mechanism for alleged incidents of antisemitism and other anti-religious bigotry.
The report also highlighted several other steps taken by the Youngkin administration over the past four years, including:
– Updating codes of conduct to ensure protection of free speech on college campuses, and providing clear guidelines and consequences for any violation.
– Hosting bimonthly calls with campus police chiefs from Virginia’s public and private two- and four-year colleges and providing safety and religious extremism trainings across the Commonwealth.
– In 2023, the Board of Education adopted new History and Social Science Standards of Learning which incorporate additional education on antisemitism awareness, Holocaust awareness, and Jewish history
Last May, Governor Youngkin was the keynote speaker at the CAM-organized “Faith, Freedom, and Legacy: Honoring Virginia’s Jewish Heritage” gala dinner in Richmond.
“Jewish American Heritage Month is that moment where we recognize the incredible contributions Jewish Americans have made to our nation,” he said in his remarks. “But we also come together tonight to celebrate tremendous progress against the oldest hatred ever known. And the progress we have made together only encourages us that we have more work left to do. That is our collective commitment this evening. Where there is darkness, we must allow the light in. Every single day we must press forward, because if we stand still, we fall behind.”
Governor Youngkin was also a guest of honor at CAM’s “A Tribute to Our Military: Honoring the U.S.-Israel Alliance” gala dinner in Virginia Beach and Virginia Summit to Combat Antisemitism in Norfolk in 2024.
“The work in front of us is to undo so much of the hate that has become embedded in our culture and our society today,” he said at the Norfolk forum. “We owe it to our future to stand strong in this moment, to stand together in this moment.”
In recognition of his dedication to fighting antisemitism and religious bigotry of all forms, Governor Youngkin was bestowed with the CAM Civil Leadership Award at the summit.
In May 2023, at a Jewish American Heritage Month (JAHM) celebration held in front of the Executive Mansion in Richmond, Governor Youngkin signed a bill formally adopting the IHRA antisemitism definition.
“We will not allow this hatred to grow in Virginia,” he vowed at the time.
A New York Post op-ed jointly authored by Governor Youngkin, Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, and Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt said, “It’s time for leaders of conscience to draw a bright line, translating rhetoric into robust action to protect all members of the Jewish community from the scourge of antisemitism.”
“We … are proud to champion this fight, the civil rights movement of our time, and we call upon governors and state legislators across the country to join us,” the governors wrote. “Taking firm action against antisemitism can unite all citizens of good will in a righteous effort to restore the American promise for a new generation.”
