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The U.S. House Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education, chaired by Rep. Kevin Kiley (R-CA), held a hearing on Wednesday titled “From Playground to Classroom: The Spread of Antisemitism in K-12 Schools.”
The session built on the Committee on Education and the Workforce’s investigations into antisemitism on college campuses, which have already begun to prompt reforms at some major universities. Now, lawmakers are turning their attention to younger students, where the same hatred is taking root.
“Antisemitism is also a growing problem in our K-12 education system,” Rep. Kiley said, stressing that Jewish children should never have to transfer schools to escape harassment. He cited cases in California where “the antisemitic environment is so hostile that Jewish children are withdrawing and transferring to other schools.”
“Even the California Department of Education has found ethnic studies curricula to be antisemitic in multiple school districts,” Rep. Kiley noted.
He pointed to three drivers: teachers’ colleges that frame Israel as an “oppressor,” unions spreading anti-Israel activism, and outside groups pushing antisemitic material. As a result, Jewish students and teachers face increasing hostility inside schools.
Watch the full hearing HERE:
Nicole Neily: Biased Classrooms and Foreign Influence
Nicole Neily, president of Parents Defending Education, described how some educators use classrooms to advance political agendas. She testified that teachers “exploited their authority over students to teach a one-sided version of the conflict to captive audiences of minors, demonizing Israel, and pressuring student newspapers to even alter coverage of the war.”
In addition, Neily raised alarms about foreign money in U.S. schools. “Multiple public school districts receive funds from Qatari Foundation International, an instrument of the Qatari Royal Family,” she said. These grants, she argued, open the door to biased curricula and anti-Israel indoctrination.
Jewish students, she added, face harassment alongside biased lessons. Swastikas appear on school property, classmates give Nazi salutes, and peers mock the murder of Israelis. “No child should have to hide their identity or endure harassment because of their identity in an American school,” she told lawmakers.
Neily also highlighted the Arab Resource and Organizing Center (AROC), which pushes ethnic studies frameworks hostile to Jews and Israel. According to her, such groups shape what children are taught under the banner of multicultural education.
Brandy Shufutinsky: DEI and Ethnic Studies Must Not Exclude Jews
Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) Education and National Security Program Director Brandy Shufutinsky, focused on how diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs and ethnic studies frameworks often sideline Jews.
“These programs must better serve Jews, not be eliminated,” she said. However, when schools label Jews as ‘oppressors,’ students feel erased and unsafe. “It can make them feel like their identity is not valid and like they’re worth being targeted,” she testified.
Shufutinsky emphasized that DEI programs should reflect the full diversity of Jewish identity, including Jews of color, Jews with disabilities, and LGBTQ Jews. Instead, many programs reinforce stereotypes and leave Jewish students vulnerable. When combined with ethnic studies mandates, this creates classrooms that present Jews through a distorted lens.
Ethnic Studies at the Center of the Debate
Ethnic studies programs were a central focus of the hearing. California’s original model ethnic studies curriculum drew intense criticism for antisemitic content. Even Governor Gavin Newsom acknowledged its problems and blocked its adoption. Although a revised version followed, witnesses warned that anti-Israel bias still appears in district-level courses.
Lawmakers heard how activist networks use ethnic studies requirements to spread anti-Israel messaging. Teachers share lesson plans and materials that erase Jewish identity or present Israel as a colonial state. Witnesses argued that this is not accidental — it reflects coordinated campaigns by advocacy groups.
Legal Protections and Federal Policy
Witnesses reminded lawmakers that Jewish students are covered under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination based on shared ethnic identity. Executive Order 13899, issued in 2019, also directs agencies to apply the IHRA working definition of antisemitism when enforcing Title VI.
This legal framework requires schools to respond when Jewish students face harassment or exclusion. Yet, as testimony made clear, administrators often fail to act, leaving children exposed.
A Call to Protect the Next Generation
The hearing underscored a sobering truth: antisemitism is spreading beyond universities into America’s elementary, middle, and high schools. From playground taunts to ethnic studies lessons shaped by outside influence, Jewish students face increasing hostility.
Therefore, schools must remain places of learning, not arenas of hate. Protecting Jewish children is both a civil rights duty and a moral imperative.
