Ken Paxton, attorney general of Texas, announced on Thursday that he is investigating the Plano Independent School District over allegedly “permitting and facilitating antisemitic behavior” in its schools.
In a letter to the district superintendent, Paxton wrote that there are allegations that “teachers are presenting biased materials and insisting that students take a pro-Palestinian view” and that schools have provided “excused absences” for students to participate in anti-Israel walkouts.
Paxton also stated that “parents have reported widespread anti-Israel and antisemitic rhetoric in curriculum and classroom discussions to school administrators, board members and City of Plano councilmembers.”
“Those complaints have either been ignored or met with vague responses that do nothing to meaningfully address the problem,” he wrote.
Paxton stated that there is “zero tolerance” for antisemitism in the state’s schools.
“As we approach the two-year anniversary of the Oct. 7 terrorist attack in Israel, it is crucial that PISD take all necessary steps to combat antisemitism and appropriately discipline teachers, staff, and students that act in contravention to state law and PISD policy,” he wrote.
Paxton requested that the district provide a series of documents regarding school policies on walkouts and investigations of students who participated in anti-Israel walkouts, as well as the disciplinary measures taken.
He also requested that the district provide documentation on how it handled reports of antisemitism and anti-Israel rhetoric in the classroom.
“The reports regarding antisemitic activity in Plano ISD schools are alarming and must be swiftly and aggressively addressed,” Paxton stated. “Any teacher or administrator that has facilitated or supported radical anti-Israel rhetoric in our schools should be fired immediately. I stand in solidarity with our Jewish community, and we will continue to do everything in our power to root out antisemitism in all its forms.”
Lesley Range-Stanton, chief communications officer for the district, told JNS that the district “unequivocally rejects antisemitism and all forms of hate” and that any instance of antisemitic behavior “will be disciplined to the fullest extent allowed by state law.”
She said the notion that the district “promotes or facilitates antisemitism is false and inconsistent with our values, policies and ongoing actions.”
The district “is prepared to cooperate transparently and openly with any investigation, including our own independent audit into these claims,” Range-Stanton said.
“We are confident that these baseless allegations will not withstand scrutiny, and we expect elected officials to report their findings honestly when their review concludes,” she added.
According to U.S. News and World Report, there are 79 schools and 48,921 students in the district.
