California school district faces lawsuit over 'pervasive' antisemitism, say Jewish families

A lawsuit has been filed by a group of families in California against Sequoia Union High School District (SUHSD) for failing to safeguard Jewish students from widespread antisemitism, discrimination, and harassment inflicted by both peers and faculty members.

"Fox & Friends First" host Carley Shimkus reported that "Antisemitism is on the rise and somehow becoming culturally acceptable," as stated by Sam Kasle, a dad who filed a suit.

His daughter was taught "propaganda" by a teacher wearing "Free Palestine" apparel, as recounted by Kasle.

Students were instructed to define "Palestine" as a country recognized by the United Nations in 1947 and "Hamas" as a political party continuing the fight against Israel in a vocabulary matching test, according to Kasle.

Kasle alleged that when she raised this issue with the teacher, he ridiculed her and used her as an example.

The lawsuit alleges that several incidents, including the one described by Kasle, occurred following the Oct. 7, 2023 terror attack in Israel that resulted in over 1,200 deaths and led to a larger conflict with Hamas. Since the start of the war, thousands of Palestinians have been killed, and protests and demonstrations have taken place on college campuses across the country.

The lawsuit claims that SUHSD officials and teachers distributed antisemitic materials, made or tolerated anti-Jewish jokes and slurs, and advised Jewish students to hide their religious identities to avoid harassment.

The Woodside High School campus reportedly had a swastika etched onto its pavement, but district authorities dismissed it as "spiritual symbol[s] from Japanese Buddhism" instead of taking action against the offender.

The recent report by StopAntisemitism indicates that 72% of Jewish college students in the U.S. feel "unwelcome" on their campuses and more than half have been victims of antisemitic incidents.

Other parents, including Kasle, voiced their frustration about the district's unresponsiveness.

""The administration remained defensive over the past year, prioritizing their own protection rather than the children's safety, despite their formal processes," he stated."

Shimkus noted that the Sequoia Union High School District did not respond to a request for comment.

EdSource reported that the district had not yet been served with the lawsuit.