Will Californias new K-12 antisemitism law make up for Trumps civil rights cuts?

This is read by an automated voice.Please report any issues or inconsistencies here.

At a time when the federal government is dismantling civil rights protections in K-12 schools, California is expanding them — although some wonder how far the state will go to combat discrimination in schools.A new law, signed by Gov.Gavin Newsom last month, creates an Office of Civil Rights within the California Department of Education.

The office will have a staff of at least six, including an antisemitism coordinator, who will educate school districts about the harms of bias and investigate discrimination complaints.“I think it’s a good idea and the state of California will pull it off.The risks are small and the possibility for good is large,” said Gary Orfield, co-director of the Civil Rights Project at UCLA.

“But for it to be successful, it has to have real responsibility and real power.”The new law stems from a surge in antisemitic incidents in California last year following the Oct.7, 2023 attacks in Israel and the ensuing war in Gaza.

Authored by Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur (D-Los Angeles) and Assemblymember Dawn Addis (D-Morro Bay), the law is intended to eliminate anti-Jewish and other bias in the classroom and ensure that students of all ethnicities and religions feel protected.But the road to Newsom’s desk was not smooth.The bill faced tough opposition from the California Teachers Assn.

, the state’s largest teachers union, which argued that the law would limit teachers’ right to free speech by curbing their ability to discuss the conflict in Gaza or other topical issues.The union declined to comment for this article.

California A new California law creates an Office for Civil Rights to monitor and help schools comply with state antidiscrimination laws.Zbur, who was among the law’s authors, said the new Office of Civil Rights and the antisemitism coordinator are not intended to punish teachers.The idea, he said, is to help schools sta...