The Berkeley Unified School District is facing a new civil rights complaint alleging that it ignored instances of “severe and persistent” harassment against Jewish students, including accusations involving both students and teachers.

Following the Hamas attacks on Israel in October, many Jewish students at Berkeley Unified have reported experiencing antisemitism in the classroom.

Ilana Pearlman withdrew her ninth-grade son from his Berkeley High School art class due to his teacher’s behavior.

She explained, “His art teacher was showing antisemitic images in class, along with telling the children that Israel had just murdered a bunch of civilians and that they all needed to go to a walkout against genocide.”

Pearlman noted that these incidents have significantly impacted her son, causing him to lose interest in Jewish activities he previously enjoyed. She also mentioned that her efforts to address these concerns with the principal, school board, and superintendent have been disregarded.

She has documented over 57 complaints from other parents in recent months.