Jewish Students Beg High School To Solve Anti-Semitism Problem
Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
Students at a Connecticut high school said they have been harassed because they are Jewish, News 12 Connecticut reported.
At a school board meeting Monday night, dozens of Jewish students from Amity Regional High School stood up to express their concern over reports of anti-Semitism.
They took to the lectern to share their experiences, using terms like “horrified” and “terrified,” the New Haven Register reported. Many said they’re afraid to wear Jewish clothing and jewelry. Pictures showed a Swastika carved into a bathroom stall in the boys’ locker room and on a desk. They’ve recently heard people say “These Jews deserve to die” and “We are the Nazis” in the hallway. And some families said their homes have been vandalized or hit with eggs.
“It was emotionally exhausting to be in school today. The hate in this school is bigger than us,” one student said.
The offenders are members of a sports team, the students alleged, but school officials haven’t done much other than give out one-day suspensions. A memo addressing the rise in incidents was generic and unsatisfying, they said, reading, “We have found no evidence in the high school of wide-spread anti-Semitic behaviors.”
Interim Superintendent James Connelly said administrators will investigate and take disciplinary action, involving the police if need be, according to News 12. They also plan to partner with the Anti-Defamation League and other advocacy groups. The school said it will up its police presence in the parking lot and place more adults in the hallway.
“We hear you, we recognize it’s a problem here in the district,” Connelly said. “We’re not going to sweep it under the carpet.”
Alyssa Fisher is a news writer at the Forward. Email her at [email protected], or follow her on Twitter at @alyssalfisher
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