The California Education Department overturned a finding of the Manhattan Beach Unified School District that an Advanced Placement U.S. history teacher didn’t discriminate against students by posting materials accusing Israel of “genocide.”
In the Tuesday ruling, which JNS viewed, the department said that the district, whose eight schools educate more than 5,800 students in southwestern Los Angeles County, erred in absolving the teacher who, the district said, didn’t aim to discriminate against Jewish students.
After instructing the class about the Holocaust and genocides, the teacher posted supplemental materials on a Google Classroom page with slides that “included statements and source material asserting that Israel was committing genocide in Gaza.” She didn’t present opposing views, according to the district probe.
The district concluded that the teacher violated its policies on teaching controversial subjects but “made an implied conclusion of law that the subject instructional materials were not discriminatory” and didn’t take corrective action, according to the state.
Emet Legal Services filed an appeal to the state on behalf of the South Bay Jewish Advocacy Group in July.
Ilana Cohen, founding attorney of Emet Legal, told JNS that the incident occurred at Mira Costa High School in Manhattan Beach, Calif.
She hopes that “the district uses this as an opportunity to work with the community in securing an appropriate trainer regarding this critical topic,” she said of the state finding.
“This decision sends an unmistakable message to school boards across California,” she told JNS. “You cannot turn a blind eye to classroom bias or defend it under the shield of ‘good intentions.’”
The state said that the district’s finding was “inconsistent with law,” because intent is not required to prove that conduct is discriminatory under the California Education Code.
“Substantial evidence indicates that several students and families experienced the instructional materials as upsetting, one sided or emotionally harmful,” the state said.
“Ultimately, the instructional materials had the effect of creating an intimidating and discriminatory environment in which at least some students felt targeted and bullied, based upon their nationality, race or ethnicity or religion,” it said.
The state is requiring the district to enlist an outside trainer to implement mandatory training on “preventing bias and prejudice in the classroom, with a specific emphasis on antisemitism” for all teachers and administrators at the school. It must do so by Oct. 26.
Grace Edgington, public information officer for the district, told JNS that “as a school district, we accept the decision of the California Department of Education and are already in the process of implementing the required corrective actions.”
“Our focus remains on ensuring this happens in a timely manner while continuing to support our students, families and staff,” she told JNS.
