New York, NY, September 10, 2025 … ADL (the Anti-Defamation League) today issued the following statement in response to two House Education and Workforce Committee hearings: “Unmasking Union Antisemitism” and “From Playground to Classroom: The Spread of Antisemitism in K-12 Schools.”
“We appreciate the Committee’s focus on the growing crisis of antisemitism in education that undermines the safety and integrity of our schools. Since 2020, antisemitic incidents in K-12 schools have increased 434%, threatening the safety of students, staff, and teachers. These numbers represent far more than statistics; they reflect the real experiences of Jewish students and educators who feel isolated, harassed, and unsafe. To address this rising challenge, leadership is critical. There must be more support for Holocaust education to teach about the importance of confronting antisemitism and hate, adequate funds for the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights to enforce civil rights protections, resources and training for administrators and educators to ensure they promptly respond to incidents of antisemitic harassment in schools, and mechanisms to hold educators and unions accountable if their actions normalize antisemitism or delegitimize Jewish identity. ADL stands ready to work with Congress, schools, and educators to confront antisemitism head-on. Protecting students and supporting teachers is not a partisan issue — it is a moral imperative.”