Public schools in Tennessee need to investigate incidents of Jew-hatred and report them to the state in a new way, under a 60-part education bill that Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, a Republican, signed into law last week.
School districts and charter schools in the state must probe complaints of antisemitic discrimination before reporting them to the Title VI coordinator at the state’s education department under the new law. Previously, the coordinator under Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act investigated complaints.
And instead of the Title VI coordinator issuing an annual report on Jew-hatred to the state’s attorney general and legislature, as was the case under prior state law, the Tennessee Department of Education is now responsible for issuing the annual statewide K-12 Jew-hatred report by Dec. 31 of each year. Public colleges and universities must submit their reports by June 30 annually.
The antisemitism provisions are included in sections 57 and 58 of the broader education omnibus bill, which makes dozens of changes to Tennessee’s education law.
The bill, HB 2533, which William Lamberth, a Republican state representative, introduced in February, passed 77-8 in the state House on April 21. The state Senate passed it unanimously on April 22.
The governor also signed SB 2318, which allows private colleges and universities, including those with religious affiliations, to establish and operate public charter schools.
