Former student sues Seattle school for antisemitism amid Gaza tensions
The most recent example is described in a lawsuit filed against Seattle
Public Schools by the parents of a freshman at Nathan Hale High. They
accuse its leaders of allowing antisemitic bullying to escalate until it
corroded the entire 2023-24 school year and forced their daughter to
disenroll.
The most recent example is described in a lawsuit filed against Seattle
Public Schools by the parents of a freshman at Nathan Hale High. They
accuse its leaders of allowing antisemitic bullying to escalate until it
corroded the entire 2023-24 school year and forced their daughter to
disenroll.
In April of 2024, after this behavior had persisted for six months,
Principal William Jackson sent a letter to Nathan Hale families,
denouncing the antisemitic graffiti. He said the school would respond by
holding “restorative circles” for kids who felt targeted so they could
“share their experience” with “caring adults.”
Restorative Circles?
The terrified 15-year-old did not return to school for the rest of the
year and is now enrolled in another district. Principal Jackson is
gone, too. He now directs teaching and learning in the Bellevue schools.
Failure
to respond effectively to bigotry is not unique to Nathan Hale High,
nor to SPS. The Jewish Federation reports that antisemitic harassment,
vandalism and assault in Washington’s K-12 system doubled from 2023 to
2024. This month Attorney General Nick Brown launched a new hate crimes and bias incidents hotline in King, Clark and Spokane counties.
https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/student-sues-seattle-high-school-failing-protect-from-antisemitic-harassment/281-ae195b43-b41a-4c01-918e-55e6bbb99582
https://mynorthwest.com/local/antisemitic-harassment-lawsuit/4103019
https://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/editorials/seattle-lawsuit-shows-devastating-effect-of-bigotry-lack-of-leadership-in-schools/