California's antisemitism law gets pushback from teachers, parents

(CN) — A group of teachers and parents filed suit Monday in federal court against a controversial new California law intended to protect students from antisemitism.

Assembly Bill 715 drew strong support, as well as some tears, when lawmakers debated and passed it two months ago on the Legislature’s final night. Effective on Jan. 1, 2026, the law will create an Office of Civil Rights under the Government Operations Agency, along with an antisemitism prevention coordinator.

Local educational agencies must investigate and take action if they know or should have known instructional materials were used to violate antidiscrimination laws. Additionally, the law also requires instruction be factually accurate.

Plaintiffs in their suit call the law hastily written and one that doesn’t define key terms, like “antisemitism” — leaving those who fall under the law’s purview in the dark about what might lead to punishment.

“To the extent the AB 715 amendments leave administrators and teachers with the reasonable perception that they could be punished for antisemitic discrimination if they express certain opinions about the state of Israel and the philosophy of Zionism, the law is overbroad and viewpoint discriminatory,” the plaintiffs say.

The plaintiffs are asking a judge to declare that the law’s changes to state education code are unconstitutionally vague, overbroad and discriminatory. They want a judge to stop the state from enforcing the law.

Some of the plaintiffs’ complaints echo those of lawmakers opposed to the law as they debated it on the Assembly floor.

A handful of naysayers in the Assembly said the law would stifle conversation about certain topics, as people would fear punishment. Student plaintiffs say the same in their suit, arguing they won’t hear about different perspectives on Israel, Palestine and the Middle East. One reason for that is anyone can file a complaint about what’s taught in the classroom, which will stop free discussion.

That undermines students’ ability to get information, which is protected by the First Amendment, plaintiffs say.

Andrea Prichett, a Berkeley middle school United States history teacher and a plaintiff, says she’s already faced complaints for a discussion involving Israel and Palestine. She fears people will skip those discussions to avoid complaints.

Dunia Hassan, a Santa Clara Spanish teacher and plaintiff, says she’s also seen discussions conflated into attacks on Israel. She points to her support and adviser status to a Muslim students’ association, which helped bring a Palestinian speaker to school.

“Although the speaker was to limit his remarks to his personal journey as a Palestinian refugee, Israeli community members complained, speculating that the speaker would portray Israel negatively,” the plaintiffs say. “His very existence was perceived as a threat to pro-Israel parents. The event was thereby postponed.”

One California school district provided antisemitism training as Assembly Bill 715 gained attention earlier this year. It left teachers confused. One question focused on whether a teacher criticizing Israel equated to discrimination. The answer: “It depends,” a plaintiff says.

“This vague standard leaves teachers unsure what could subject them to discipline, incentivizing them to avoid the topic entirely for fear of backlash,” they add.

Additionally, the law has no definition for antisemitism, but it does require schools to follow former President Joe Biden’s national strategy to combat antisemitism. That strategy also has no definition for antisemitism, but it does refer to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s as prominent, the plaintiffs argue.

“Both the [alliance] definition of antisemitism and the Biden national strategy conflate criticism of the state of Israel, as well as the political philosophy known as Zionism, with antisemitism,” they add.

Prichett also questions the “factually accurate” aspect of the law. She points to what she calls facts: Palestinians in Israel don’t have the same rights as Jewish citizens, and West Bank Palestinians have almost no rights under Israeli occupation.

She also points to many international human rights organizations that have determined Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. However, some pro-Israel people find that offensive and antisemitic.

“Unless I create an exception to the use of standard definitions or simply abandon the topic completely, I will be at risk under the new law AB 715,” Prichett said.