Philly School District has not adequately investigated claims of antisemitism and other harassment, feds say, as district agrees to a resolution

PHILADELPHIA — Despite "repeated, extensive notice" of acts of antisemitism and other harassment in its schools, the Philadelphia School District did not adequately investigate the claims, take appropriate steps to respond to them, or even maintain all necessary records, the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights has found.

The findings came as federal officials announced a sweeping settlement with the district this week that requires school officials to hold training on antidiscrimination policies and educate thousands of students about racial and ethnic discrimination.

The settlement stems from a claim lodged earlier this year centering on a series of incidents, including a swastika drawn on a door, antisemitic slurs, and allegations of social media-based harassment by district teachers and administrators over the last two years as communities across Philadelphia and the nation grappled with the fallout of Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel and Israel's subsequent military operation in Gaza.

In announcing the settlement Thursday, Office of Civil Rights staff said they were "concerned that district staff members appear to have engaged in (online) retaliation against district parents for filing the OCR complaint and other complaints of shared Jewish ancestry harassment."

"The district offered no evidence of its assessment of whether the post was retaliatory, and if so, steps taken to address it," OCR said in a statement.

The district made no admission of fault, but voluntarily entered into the one-year agreement, signed by Superintendent Tony B. Watlington Sr. on Wednesday. Christina Clark, a district spokesperson, said it did so to ensure "welcoming and inclusive environments."

"OCR has recognized areas where the district has shown its commitment to this important work and also identified areas needing additional attention and improvement," Clark said. "The voluntary resolution agreement outlines ways in which the district will continue to improve upon its processes."

Allegations from the claim

A Masterman parent filed the first claim of antisemitism with federal authorities; subsequent allegations were made about incidents at other schools.

Incidents included Nazi salutes, swastikas scrawled on doors and smart boards, alleged antisemitic slurs, threats to "kill the jews," students "dress(ing) up like Nazis, with a swastika tied around each of their arms, spewing fake German and hailing Hitler through the hallways," the Office of Civil Rights said. Anti-Black racial slurs were also cited, as well as a report from a teacher about district staff "calling my students slaves, told to pick cotton til [their] hands bleed!"

Details of the settlement

After conducting an investigation into the claims, OCR concluded that absent one instance in which the district hired an outside law firm to investigate, the school system has not met its obligations to evaluate whether a hostile environment exists or taken measures to stop the hostility or prevent it from recurring.

"For example, the district produced no information reflecting its evaluation of the operation of whether a hostile environment resulted for Jewish students when a teacher in a position of authority over all students stood on stage at a school-wide assembly and made a statement unrelated to the topic of the assembly, asking specifically 'was it really the quote unquote antisemitism that made you uncomfortable or was it the truth?,'" OCR said.

Officials also said they were "concerned" that the district did not hand over and does not appear to maintain documentation "of incidents of which it had notice from a community organization, advocacy organization, and others, including: swastika graffiti, complaints about flyers at a bake sale, an incident involving a 'Palestinian Freedom Fighter' costume for Halloween, and an image on social media of an Israeli flag with 'trash' written on it, all at the same school."

The district agreed to steps including issuing and sharing widely an antiharassment statement; revising procedures for documenting reports of harassment; annual training on the federal prohibition of race- and ethic-based discrimination; education for sixth through 12th graders on discrimination and harassment; an audit of whether claims of harassment and discrimination were handled consistently and appropriately; and hiring a consultant to help address and prevent discrimination.

'Positive efforts'

OCR did note some "positive efforts" taken by the district, including reminders to all staff about policies around harassment, discrimination, staff use of social media, freedom of speech, and political activities; professional development for school administrators; new training; listening sessions; and other measures.

Catherine E. Lhamon, assistant secretary for civil rights, said in a statement that the 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."

How are people responding?

Members of the School District of Philadelphia Jewish Family Association said the settlement shows that the district "has allowed, and in many cases, perpetuated, a culture of hate, harassment and discrimination against Jewish students, teachers, and families. Shockingly, this hate has come from within the district — from the very teachers and administrators entrusted with the safety and well-being of our children."

The SDP JFA statement said it was "heartbreaking" that the district had made attempts to "cover up the truth, dismiss the suffering of Jewish families, and shield those responsible from accountability."

But, the group said, "we hold onto the hope that today's findings will lead to real change — change that holds perpetrators accountable and ensures that the Jewish community in SDP can begin to heal."

Marcia Bronstein, regional director of the American Jewish Committee in Philly and South Jersey, said the settlement lays a foundation for change and sends a signal.

"If Jewish students and their families are being systematically harassed and vilified because of who they are and what they believe in, then Philadelphia schools have failed in their mission," Bronstein said. "This agreement should facilitate a necessary course correction. Hate has no place in our classrooms."

Members of the Philly Educators for Palestine, a group that has drawn the ire of SDP JFA, said they had just received the settlement and would issue a statement once they had time to fully review it. But a spokesperson said that the group had immediately identified inaccuracies in OCR's findings.

The Philly Educators for Palestine group said that instead of a district teacher making a statement at an assembly about people being uncomfortable about antisemitism or the truth, it was instead a district student who spoke those words.