New York, NY, May 15, 2009 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) joined a coalition of civil rights organizations in urging the Appellate Division of the New York Supreme Court to hold that an upstate school district must comply with the New York State Human Rights Law.  Newfield Central School District has argued that, as a public school district, it does not fall under the law's jurisdiction.

"New York's Human Rights Law is the backbone that provides critical civil rights protections to the state's children," said David S. Hershberg, ADL New York Regional Board Chair and Kenneth Jacobson, ADL Acting New York Regional Director.  "We hope that the appellate court will reach the conclusion that this law does in fact prohibit discrimination in public schools.  It is hard to imagine that the legislature intended to protect private school students from discrimination while leaving the public school students without recourse to the Division of Human Rights, when it originally passed this law."

The amicus brief, filed in Newfield Central School District v. New York State Division of Human Rights, argues that New York Human Rights Law's anti-discrimination and anti-harassment protections applies to all educational settings, and makes no distinction between public and private schools.  The case is on appeal to the Appellate Division, Third Department.

The Anti-Defamation League, founded in 1913, is the world's leading organization fighting anti-Semitism through programs and services that counteract hatred, prejudice and bigotry.