Commonwealth of Virginia
Office of the Attorney General
Jason S. Miyares
Attorney General
202 North 9th Street
Richmond, Virginia 23219
804-786-2071
FAX 804-786-1991
Virginia Relay Service
800-828-1120
For media inquiries only, contact:
Victoria LaCivita
(804) 588-2021
Attorney General Miyares Sends Letter Condemning Anti-Semitism in K-12 Schools
RICHMOND, Va. – Attorney General Jason Miyares today sent a letter to all Virginia Public School Principals and Superintendents about the rise of antisemitism in education nationwide and their responsibility to create environments for their students free of discrimination, harassment and intimidation.
There are Jewish families and students in our Commonwealth who feel threatened and unsupported. Some schools and divisions have even promoted biased materials and stood by as staff and students spread false narratives and shouted violent anti-Jewish slogans.
Public school principals and superintendents are tasked with the responsibility of teaching Virginia’s students. They must be partners in defeating the scourge of antisemitism in our country, society, and classrooms.
Attorney General Miyares wrote that “after the brutal terrorist attacks on our homeland on September 11, 2001, the federal government focused its efforts on combating anti-Islamic discrimination. But today, the dark specter of antisemitism has arisen with terrifying force and now haunts our streets, our college campuses, and our public schools. All of us – government officials and private citizens – must combat antisemitism with all the tools at our disposal and drive it from our society. Our schools train our children to become good citizens devoted to serving the common good. They therefore play a critical role in beating back the forces of antisemitism.”
Read the letter here.
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