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A special ceremony was held in at the State Capitol in Nashville, Tennessee, on Monday, where an official commemorative copy of HB1188 — a law signed in April by Tennessee Governor Bill Lee prohibiting antisemitic discrimination in the state’s public K-12 schools and institutions of higher education — was presented to Jewish community leaders, including representatives of the Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM).
The legislation — which was sponsored by State Senator Paul Rose and State Representative Rusty Grills — defines antisemitism using the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Working Definition of Antisemitism, including its 11 contemporary examples.
Before it was signed into law by Governor Lee, the bill was approved by the Tennessee General Assembly with 79-11 and 29-1 margins in the House of Representatives and Senate, respectively.
The new law requires the integration of the definition into student, faculty, and employee codes of conduct or anti-discrimination policies. The bill also gives teeth to Title VI by directing the Tennessee Department of Education and each institution of higher education to designate a Title VI Coordinator to monitor, review, and investigate antisemitic complaints and incidents of discrimination, in public K-12 and post-secondary schools, and requires the coordinator to submit an annual report to the State Attorney General and the General Assembly.
The IHRA antisemitism definition was already adopted by Tennessee in 2022 via HB 2673, passed by the General Assembly and signed into law by Governor Lee.
A total of 37 U.S. states have adopted the definition, according to a database compiled by the Antisemitism Research Center (ARC) by CAM.
CAM Founder Adam Beren and Director of State Engagement David Soffer attended Monday’s ceremony, which was hosted by Tennessee House Majority Leader William Lamberth.
Other lawmakers present included Rose and Grills, as well as State Representatives Chris Todd and Scott Cepicky.
Soffer spoke in favor of the bill at hearings of the Tennessee House and Senate Education Committees in March and April.
In his testimony, Soffer said the legislation would “send a powerful message that Tennessee is taking proactive steps to protect its Jewish community.”
“It will also demonstrate to the rest of the nation that Tennessee is committed to combating hatred in all its forms and ensuring the safety and dignity of all students, faculty members, and staff members,” he added.
This year, CAM led an organized effort to engage and educate state legislators across the United States on antisemitism-related issues and potential policy remedies, such as the new Tennessee law.
Similar legislative initiatives were also put forth in Arkansas, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Nebraska, and Oklahoma.
Five states saw legislation of this type enacted since the start of April, including Arkansas, Kansas, Kentucky, Oklahoma, and Tennessee.
At the end of June, lawmakers and executive officials from 17 states convened in Kansas City, Missouri, for the first-ever CAM-organized State Leadership Summit on Antisemitism.
