US House committee investigation exposes antisemitism, political indoctrination in public schools

A US House committee investigation released on Wednesday detailed widespread antisemitism and political activism within American K-12 public schools and major teachers' unions following the October 7, 2023 attacks against Israel. The majority staff report, called "Antisemitism in K-12 Schools" and published by the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, stated that antisemitic incidents in US schools increased by 135 percent in 2023, prompting congressional inquiries into several major school districts and labor organizations. Committee Chairman Tim Walberg said parents send their children to school to learn, not to be taught to hate Israel or embrace radical political causes. The committee opened investigations into Berkeley Unified School District in California, the School District of Philadelphia in Pennsylvania, and Fairfax County Public Schools in Virginia. The report examined the Philadelphia district's curricula, finding that it promoted ideology justifying violent resistance and legitimized radical groups. In Berkeley, the report found that the district collaborated with the Liberated Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum Consortium, paying over $111,000 for curriculum writing, resulting in lessons with antisemitic resources and activist ideology. The committee also investigated the National Education Association over allegations of antisemitism.