The Department of Education announced on Thursday an investigation of the public school system in Baltimore over accusations that it did not do enough to address antisemitism.
The move indicated the administration would broaden its focus on antisemitism to K-12 schools, after spending months pursuing similar claims against universities.
The investigation stems from an Anti-Defamation League complaint against Baltimore City Public Schools. It centers on the actions of a high school English teacher who, during a lesson on Shakespeare last January, reportedly performed a Nazi salute in the classroom, directed toward a Jewish student.
The complaint states that while the school system substantiated the student’s version of events, it did not meaningfully discipline the teacher, who is still employed by the district.
It also covers a broad range of other reported incidents, including swastika graffiti found in classrooms, and students bullying Jewish peers with statements such as “6 million was not enough” and “we should call Hamas and have them come here.”
The A.D.L. alleges that one Baltimore high school removed mentions of the Holocaust from lessons about World War II, while another displayed a sign reading “from the river to the sea” — a rallying cry of the movement for Palestinian rights, whose meaning is often debated.
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The post Baltimore Schools Face Investigation Over Antisemitism Allegations appeared first on New York Times.
