The School District of Philadelphia, the largest school district in Pennsylvania, has resolved a federal investigation into allegations of Jew-hatred by choosing to comply with numerous directives from the federal government.
On Dec. 19, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights announced that the district had accepted a resolution agreement to comply with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
The investigation into the school district was initiated by complaints of antisemitic incidents, including Nazi salutes; swastikas drawn on doors and boards; threats to “kill the Jews”; students dressing in Nazi attire; and allegations of district staff engaging in social-media harassment.
According to the Education Department, the district failed to maintain records on the incidents or to fulfill its legal obligation to determine whether a hostile environment existed and take action in response.
The investigation also found that district staff members appear to have retaliated against parents involved in filing the Title VI complaint and other complaints of shared Jewish ancestry harassment.
To resolve the complaint, the district agreed to such measures as issuing an anti-harassment statement; reviewing discrimination policies; training staff annually; providing age-appropriate training for students between sixth and 12th grades; and reviewing responses to discrimination reports from the previous two school years.
“The Philadelphia School District has committed to taking essential steps to redress any hostile environment in its schools so that Jewish students, like all students, can learn in an environment free from discriminatory harassment,” said Catherine Lhamon, assistant secretary for civil rights for the Department of Education.
