California School District Fails To Address Anti-Semitic And Racist Vandalism

The U.S. Department of Education is imposing sanctions on a school district in Northern California after allegations that administrators failed to adequately address more than 15 racist and anti-Semitic incidents reported on campuses from 2021 to 2024.

In a letter sent on July 26, the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) of the federal agency summarized its investigation into the reported incidents at the Carmel Unified School District. These incidents included instances of racist and anti-Semitic writings and drawings found in bathrooms, locker rooms, and on school supplies during the 2021-2022 academic year. However, the district failed to document these incidents. As a result, the district is now required to establish a new system for identifying and reporting incidents, communicating with parents and students about such unacceptable behavior, and providing training to all employees on the latest procedures, as stated in a news release from the U.S. Department of Education.

Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Catherine Lhamon stated in the news release on July 26 that Carmel Unified School District is committed to ensuring a safe learning environment for all students, including Jewish students, without any form of discriminatory harassment. The OCR will collaborate with the district in the coming years to safeguard students’ federal civil rights.

In one incident in 2021, a suspension was handed out after a swastika was observed on a student’s skin. However, redactions in the OCR’s letter obscure details such as names, grade levels, and other pertinent information, making it unclear whether the student drew the symbol on themselves or on another student’s skin. Another incident in the same year involved a teacher inadvertently passing a student a ruler with an offensive word and symbol. The district personnel failed to identify who defaced the ruler and provided no documentation to the OCR regarding support services offered to potentially traumatized students. These details were mentioned in the OCR’s letter to the district.

Following the incidents in 2021, the district established an anti-hate speech task force comprising students, staff, and administrators. However, subsequent episodes occurred despite multiple meetings and a plan to address the ongoing issue. The letter noted instances where swastikas and the letters “SS” were discovered on classroom desks in 2022, with the perpetrators remaining unidentified. During a Board of Education meeting, a student criticized school officials for their repeated five-minute response, expressing a lack of school-wide meetings, policy statements, or educational presentations on the matter.

In the 2023-2024 academic year, six incidents were reported, ranging from the appearance of more swastikas on school property to a complaint from a parent regarding a boy’s threatening remarks aimed at Jewish individuals. As the complainants did not request a response from the district, no investigation or report was initiated, according to the OCR’s letter.

In 2024, teachers caught a student drawing a swastika in class. When questioned, the student claimed ignorance regarding the symbol’s meaning. An assistant principal later explained the historical significance of the symbol and issued a warning to the student, according to the letter.

The OCR found that during the 2021-2022 and 2023-2024 school years, the school was aware of multiple instances of swastikas or other anti-Semitic vandalism, incidents involving references to Hitler, and instances of harmful comments towards Jewish individuals. These incidents created a hostile environment for students based on their Jewish heritage. The OCR deemed that the district failed to promptly and effectively address these issues, as stated in the letter.

The Epoch Times reached out to the Carmel Unified School District but has not yet received a response.

The Carmel Unified School District (CUSD) is located in an affluent area on the Monterrey Peninsula.

Rabbi Bruce Greenbaum, from Carmel Beth Israel synagogue, serves approximately 250 families in the peninsula, including students, parents, and CUSD employees. He expressed satisfaction with Superintendent Sharon Ofek’s response to the situation, stating that she has been forthcoming and communicated effectively with parents, students, and school officials.

In an interview with The Epoch Times on Aug. 1, Greenbaum mentioned that he has an open invitation to conduct a high school assembly on anti-Semitism. After an incident in 2022, he delivered a presentation on the topic to middle school students and received thank-you letters from several students expressing what they had learned from the presentation.

Greenbaum stated that, to his knowledge, the perpetrators of the racist and anti-Semitic acts have not been apprehended. He believes that while the conduct is limited to a small group of ignorant students, the recent incidents may have been influenced by campus protests across California.

“I think they are just a few kids who are ignorant and acting out,” Greenbaum said. “They think it’s cool to be part of a group that protests but don’t really understand the situation. It’s unfortunate.”