The Brief
- California’s Department of Education ruled that complaints of discrimination in the district were valid.
- Pro-Palestinian groups say the complaints conflate criticism of Israel with antisemitism.
- Oakland Unified has committed to staff training on antisemitism and bias.
OAKLAND, Calif. – In three separate rulings, the California Department of Education has determined that the Oakland Unified School District created a “discriminatory environment” against Jewish students and staff, contradicting the district’s findings.
In rulings issued in late October, the CDE also criticized the district for taking more than a year, longer than the 60 days allowed, to respond to Jewish families’ complaints of antisemitism, and also for violating state law by declining to turn over reports of its investigations that could have shed light on the district’s conclusions.
Additional unresolved complaints citing antisemitism have been filed by Oakland attorney Marleen Sacks, who has represented Jewish families in the district. She filed the complaints as a concerned member of the community.…