Republican Sens. Joni Ernst of Iowa and Bill Cassidy of Louisiana are leading more than two dozen of their colleagues in calling on the Department of Education to do more about antisemitism in public schools.
In a letter, the legislators note recent incidents of antisemitism in public K-12 schools and demand that the department act according to its Title VI obligations to prevent Jewish and Israeli students from being harassed, abused, or discriminated against.
“We are deeply concerned that the Department of Education is not ensuring American K-12 schools are fostering a safe learning environment for all students following the terrorist organization Hamas’ violent attack on civilians, including Americans and Israeli citizens,” the letter reads.
“We write to urgently inquire what your Department is doing to enforce Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and to ensure students are not subjected to discrimination based on race, color, or national origin,” it continues, adding that the legislators request a briefing be scheduled by Dec. 14 of this year to discuss the department’s actions and data.
They conclude: “America’s K-12 schools must be a safe learning environment for all students. School officials are supposed to be the adults in the school building. They should be setting an example for our students and ensuring a safe learning environment rather than undermining it … some schools seem unwilling or unable to uphold their legal obligations under Title VI. Therefore, the Department should use its full resources to enforce the law.”