March 20, 2024 — Washington, DC
American Jewish Committee (AJC) today welcomed a U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights (OCR) agreement made with the Park City School District in Utah based on the Department’s investigation of seven complaints across three schools.
According to the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR), the district did not adequately respond “to repeated harassment of Black, Asian, and Jewish students and to harassment based on sex – including slurs, threats, name-calling, gestures, symbols, and assaults, among other actions that negatively affected their access to education.”
OCR’s investigation revealed at least 27 antisemitic incidents over two school years from 2021-2023, including Nazi salutes and the drawing of swastikas, as well as students saying or writing anti-Jewish phrases, including “The Nazis were right,” “Heil Hitler,” and “I hate the Jews.”
Another 77 incidents were based on race and at least 80 based on sex.
“It is unconscionable that even one student would be made to feel unsafe in their school just once. For so many students to be targeted and harassed in one school district is devastating,” said AJC CEO Ted Deutch. “Today’s action from the Department of Education is a much needed intervention to protect and support students in the Park City School District – from antisemitism and all forms of bigotry and hate. The steps outlined by OCR for the district include actions that all districts can take to ensure they are creating safe environments in which every student can access education free from harassment.”
AJC has released A Guide for Administrators of U.S. Public Schools: Implementing the U.S. National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism, which explains and distills the elements of the U.S. National Strategy that are germane to public school spaces; An Action Plan for Public School Administrators, a document that offers short-, medium-, and long-term strategies for public schools to employ in combating antisemitism; and Tough Questions On the Hamas Attack On Israel: Parenting High Schoolers, among other resources, to help schools and parents navigate the alarming surge in antisemitism seen in schools and across the U.S.
As detailed by OCR, the district agreed to:
- Review incidents of harassment based on race, national origin, sex, and disability in school year 2022-23, using a list of specific incidents provided by OCR, to determine for OCR’s approval what further action is needed to provide an equitable resolution of each incident.
- Review, revise, and disseminate district-wide policies and procedures, including for handling reports of harassment and maintaining records related to harassment.
- Implement new forms for tracking reports of harassment and the district’s responses.
- Coordinate the district’s compliance with Title IX through the Title IX coordinator.
- Notify students and parents about the district’s prohibitions of harassment based on race, national origin, sex, and disability and how to report harassment on these bases.
- Conduct a districtwide climate assessment focused on student-to-student harassment.
- Train all employees on Title IX coordination and related policies, procedures, and forms.
- Implement a plan to educate students and parents about reporting harassment. And,
- Report to OCR about how the district responded to reports and complaints of harassment based on race, national origin, sex, or disability in school years 2024-25 and 2025-26.
AJC is the global advocacy organization for the Jewish people. With headquarters in New York, 25 offices across the United States, 14 overseas posts, as well as partnerships with 38 Jewish community organizations worldwide, AJC’s mission is to enhance the well-being of the Jewish people and Israel and to advance human rights and democratic values in the United States and around the world. For more, please visit www.ajc.org
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