Berkeley superintendent testifies before Congress on antisemitism

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Berkeley's superintendent of schools testified before a Congressional hearing on antisemitism Wednesday after the district was accused of poorly handling cases of bullying and harassment of Jewish students since the Hamas attack on Israel. 

"The conflict in the Middle East have directly impacted our schools," Berkeley Unified Supt. Enikia Ford Morthel said. "Students and staff have family and friends who have died or been kidnapped during the Oct. 7 Hamas attack and many have deep concerns for what happened in Israel."

Ford Morthel was one of three school leaders from across the country called to testify, alongside representatives from school districts in Maryland and New York.

All have been accused by their local communities, some in court, of facilitating a culture of bullying Jewish students and not properly handling complaints when they arise.

The U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce held similar hearings with presidents of major universities, which led to the resignations of leaders at the University of Pennsylvania and Harvard. This was the first time it held hearings on antisemitism in public K-12 schools.

In Berkeley, complaints have been led by the Brandeis Center for Human Rights and the Anti-Defamation League.

They argue BUSD ignored incidents where Jewish students were taunted and exposed to language like "Kill the Jews" or "Kill Israel." 

Their complaints note an incident where an art teacher showed images of people punching through a Star of David, a Jewish symbol. 

As a result of those allegations, Ford Morthel received heat from Republican lawmakers on the committee.

The committee is made up of mostly Republican House members, including U.S. Rep. Kevin Kiley, who represents California's 3rd district.

The back-and-forth got testy at times. 

"So you find teachers who are bigots and instead of firing them, you transfer them to another school, so they can remain bigots?" said U.S. Rep. Burgess Owens, a Republican representative from Utah.

"If we have a concern or complaint about antisemitism or any form of hate, we take it very seriously," responded Ford Morthel. "We investigate and we take action pending the outcome of that investigation."

As the hearing went on in D.C., Berkeley's school board released a statement of support for its superintendent, saying in part that the district stands "against antisemitism, Islamophobia, and hate in all forms." 

Meanwhile, Berkeley parents received an email from Ford Morthel, noting that she was on Capitol Hill testifying. 

"Antisemitic incidents in our schools are deeply concerning and unacceptable, as are incidents of Islamophobia, racism, homophobia, bullying, othering, and all forms of hate," she wrote. "As a district, and a community, we stand against hate. This is a deeply held value in Berkeley. Every student deserves to be in schools that are nurturing, responsive, and safe."

She said that she hopes the hearing will allow for "authentic conversations about the challenges and tensions in school districts across the country.

In her case, she said that when Berkeley school officials received nine reports of antisemitism – an unwanted increase but not a number that shows hate is "pervasive." 

Ford Morthel said that all of those allegations were investigated, and when warranted, the district took action.

Rep. Kiley pressed the superintendent on whether those "actions" meant employees were fired.

She did not divulge the results of those sustained investigations because student and employee information is private and legally protected. 

"I'm not asking you to give us any names, but in general, has anyone been terminated?" asked Kiley.

"In general, I can say I can't speak about personnel matters, responded Ford Morthel. "As a result, it may appear that we do nothing. This is not true." 

Lawmakers also questioned Berkeley's curriculum to teach about Palestinian and Israeli history. 

The superintendent said a special curriculum was created to address "questions, curiosities and confusions" about the topic.

"We had a group of history teachers, social studies teachers, and ethnic studies teachers create a lesson set in response to that," she said. 

Rep. Kiley fought her on the idea, saying the district contracts with an organization called the Liberated Ethnic Studies Consortium. 

"You specifically chose to work with a group whose work product was rejected by political leaders in California as antisemitic," argued Rep. Kiley.

Ford Morthel told lawmakers that the district does not buy any materials from the group but takes expert input to develop lesson plans.

"Our units that are created, the ethnic studies units, are created by our educators in partnership with community members," she said.

This story was reported in Berkeley, Calif.