Student choked in class and called a “stupid kike” as district failed to effectively address harassment
New York, NY, June 16, 2026 – ADL (the Anti-Defamation League) has filed a federal civil rights complaint with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, alleging a Jewish student was subjected to persistent, escalating and severe antisemitic harassment and assault while enrolled in the Boulder Valley School District (BVSD) in Boulder, Colorado
The Title VI complaint alleges that Student A, who is in 8th grade, was subjected to repeated antisemitic bullying, slurs and physical assault by multiple fellow students at Southern Hills Middle School (SHMS) throughout 7th and 8th grade. The complaint states that the school district, despite consistently being notified, failed to remedy the hostile environment and provided no meaningful response to stop the harassment from continuing.
In April 2025, students in Student A’s PE class attempted to play a game called “Jew touch tag” and said Jews were “dirty” and “contaminated.” Then, in December 2025, a classmate allegedly fashioned a Chromebook charging cord into a lasso, threw it around the student’s neck and dragged him backward from a chair while calling him a “stupid kike” -- conduct so severe that the Boulder Police Department was called in to investigate. In April 2026, another classmate allegedly told the student: “Hitler should have killed all the Jews when he had the chance.” As a result of these incidents and the pervasive antisemitic climate, Student A no longer wears a Star of David necklace and does not share his religious identity with anyone.
“The record here is overwhelming: written pleas from the student’s parents, formal school reports and a police investigation all point to the conclusion that antisemitic harassment at Southern Hills Middle School was pervasive, escalating and severe,” said James Pasch, ADL Vice President of Litigation. “Despite the family’s pleas for help to stop the harassment, the school district failed to effectively address it, a clear violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. No family should have to fight this hard to ensure a Jewish child’s safety at school, and certainly no Jewish student should face the threat of assault or harassment because of their Jewish identity.”
“A Jewish student was assaulted and called a ‘stupid kike.’ This should horrify every parent and every educator,” said Susan Rona, ADL Mountain States Regional Director. “ADL recorded 167 antisemitic incidents in Colorado in 2025, a stark reminder that antisemitism is not something abstract – it is showing up in our communities, in our neighborhoods and even in our schools. Schools should be places where all students are protected and their heritage is respected, not where they face assault and harassment because of who they are.”
ADL is asking the U.S. Department of Education to require the district to take steps to comply with Title VI and ensure that this student and all Jewish students feel safe and protected in the future. This includes enforcing a zero-tolerance policy for antisemitic conduct, implementing mandatory antisemitism training for all teachers, administrators, faculty, staff, and students, a review of current District-wide policies regarding Title VI protections to ensure they adequately address discrimination based upon Jewish shared ancestry, and implementing stronger reporting policies for students and faculty to report antisemitic incidents to the district without fear of retaliation.
Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination based on race, color and national origin, including discrimination against Jewish students on the basis of their actual or perceived shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics, in educational institutions that receive federal funding.
Since Oct. 7, ADL has filed civil rights and legal complaints against public school districts to address antisemitic environments for Jewish students, including a successfully resolved matter against the Santa Ana Unified School District. ADL has brought Title VI complaints against the Bay County, Florida Public School District, Baltimore City Public Schools, Berkeley Unified School District, and Etiwanda School District. Several filed complaints have resulted in successful resolution agreements, including one with the U.S. Department of Justice and the Concord-Carlisle Regional School District.
ADL is the leading anti-hate organization in the world. Founded in 1913 to protect the Jewish people, ADL works to stop the defamation of the Jewish people and secure justice and fair treatment to all. In the face of rising antisemitism and extremism, we protect, advocate and educate, through a mix of programs and services using the latest innovations and technology, and seek to create a world without hate.