ADL sues Baltimore schools over ‘systematic’ discrimination against Jewish students

Jewish students throughout the district report seeing graffiti swastikas on bathroom walls and textbooks, writing that “six million Jews in the Holocaust was not enough.”

By Jewish Breaking News

The Anti-Defamation League has filed a federal lawsuit against Baltimore City Public Schools, alleging officials systematically ignored rampant antisemitism that left Jewish children eating lunch alone and hiding their identities to survive the school day.

At Mt. Washington School, elementary and middle school students subjected their Jewish classmates to daily Nazi salutes on school grounds while sending antisemitic text messages featuring a “Zionist or Nazi?” quiz. Bullies threatened to “call Hamas and have them come here” to target local Jewish students.

Disturbingly, an English teacher at Bard High School performed Nazi salutes three times during a Shakespeare seminar, directing the gestures toward the class’s only Jewish student.

When the student voiced discomfort, the teacher reportedly dismissed their concerns, claiming the gesture “does not cause anybody harm” and suggesting the pupil should consider dropping the class if they found it problematic.

The incident further escalated when the teacher announced plans to screen the film American History X, singling out the same Jewish student with a public warning to “prepare” for the movie’s antisemitic content.”

Jewish students throughout the district report seeing graffiti swastikas on bathroom walls and textbooks, writing that “six million Jews in the Holocaust was not enough.”

When parents pleaded with Baltimore City Public Schools officials for action, administrators repeatedly dismissed serious allegations as “inconclusive” and offered bureaucratic deflections instead of concrete solutions.

“All schools have a fundamental obligation to maintain a learning environment that protects students from discrimination,” said James Pasch, ADL’s vice president of litigation.

“On this essential measure of keeping its Jewish students safe from harassment and intimidation, Baltimore City Public Schools have failed.”

The ADL’s complaint seeks comprehensive remedies including mandatory antisemitism training for all staff, Holocaust education curricula, and zero-tolerance policies for antisemitic conduct.

“The failure of Baltimore City Public Schools to address this hostile environment has left Jewish students feeling abandoned and unsafe,” said Tali Cohen, ADL’s Washington regional director.

“Rather than removing antisemitism from classrooms and protecting Jewish students, the district remained inactive and silent.”