Anti-Defamation League alleges ‘pervasive antisemitic harassment' at Concord-Carlisle schools

Boston Globe

01-07-2025

'While the filing focuses largely on one student who was the target of the worst abuse, his was not an isolated case, and there is clear evidence that this was — and remains — a systemic issue," Joseph said.
Concord-Carlisle Superintendent Dr. Laurie Hunter said in a statement Tuesday the district 'does not tolerate antisemitic acts between its students' and 'every report is fully investigated and addressed swiftly and seriously.'
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The schools have 'thorough response protocols, an anonymous reporting system, and ongoing training for students and staff,' Hunter said in the statement, adding the district communicates regularly with community members about such issues.
'The district has strong relationships with local Jewish faith leaders in multiple communities to align its efforts to fight antisemitism in the schools and the Concord community,' she said. 'We regularly survey students, families, and staff to ensure there is ongoing information about students' feelings of belonging in our schools.'
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She said the school district is cooperating with the DOE's civil rights office and is 'always looking for feedback on how to enhance our policies, processes, and programs.'
The allegations described in the ADL's brief include reports of Nazi salutes in school hallways, students breaking into teams called 'Team Auschwitz' and 'Team Hamas' during sports games, swastikas drawn in notebooks and on school property, and the use of antisemitic slurs.
The ADL also
alleged that the school's Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging director downplayed concerns about one of the slurs in particular
as a 'microaggression.'
The ADL, which filed the brief Monday in conjunction with the
The ADL said the harassment at Concord-Carlisle involved at least seven students from different social groups. The organization alleged Concord-Carlisle administrators treated each incident as an isolated conflict and not as evidence of a hostile environment.
In one instance, the ADL alleged that administrators proposed removing the Jewish student from his classroom and into independent studies and virtual classes under a 'safety plan' while his alleged bullies remained in class.
The filing also said administrators were slow to respond to incidents of antisemitic graffiti at the high school in 2024 and this year.
The ADL called for the Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights to require Concord-Carlisle to conduct annual training on antisemitism for students and staff, conduct a district-wide audit of Title VI compliance, issue a 'clear, stand-alone statement denouncing antisemitism,' and incorporate the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's definition of antisemitism into the school's policies.
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Nick Stoico can be reached at