Proposed Missouri legislation that would protect public school students from acts of antisemitism is scheduled to have its first hearing at the state capital on Monday, Jan. 12. House Bill 2061, sponsored by Rep. George Hruza, R-St. Louis County, will be presented to the House Emerging Issues Committee. Members of the public can offer testimony before the committee or submit it online.
Hruza spoke at a press conference at the Jewish Student Union (JSU) Staenberg House before he left for the hearing. He said the legislation is needed to defend Jewish students and educators from antisemitism. He explained that the bill incorporates the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism to be used as a tool to help public schools, colleges and universities determine if an action is antisemitic in nature.
“It’s a guidance, not a mandate,” Hruza said. “Antisemitism continues to rise, particularly in schools and college campuses. Jewish students are harassed, intimidated and in some cases, directly threatened.”
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Rabbi Mike Rovinsky, JSU director, said 37 states and 40 countries have adopted the IHRA definition of antisemitism, and Missouri should adopt it, too.
“It would give educators, students and administrators a common framework to identify, document and address antisemitism when it occurs without limiting legitimate expression or debate,” Rovinsky said. “Antisemitism is one of the oldest forms of hate, but it has no place in education.”
Sarah Falkoff, a Jewish teacher in a St. Louis area high school, also spoke and supported passage of the legislation.
“When Jewish students encounter hatred and intimidation at school, they have little support,” Falkoff said. “Jewish students experience everything from microaggressions to full-blown harassment in class, in the hallways and in after-school activities. Schools have mandated anti-bullying policies, but do any of these anti-bullying policies include or cover Jewish hatred? No.”
Katherine Ellenhorn, a senior in an area private high school, told the gathering that the one place she has experienced the most antisemitism is at school.
“It really shows up quietly, which is what makes it so damaging to students like me, being scoffed at for wearing a Jewish star necklace or sweatshirt, not being taken seriously in class when raising concerns,” Ellenhorn said. “After returning from a study abroad program in Israel, I was met with hostility, including aggressive online messages from classmates.”
Ellenhorn called the trend a growing acceptance of casual antisemitism. Hruza explained that the legislation would not impede on free speech. For example, a student wearing a keffiyeh (a head scarf that is a symbol of Palestinian solidarity) is fine, but if that student draped the scarf on a Jewish student’s locker, it would meet the test of antisemitism. If passed into law, the legislation would greatly reduce antisemitism, Hruza said.
“These incidents will be reported publicly,” he said. “Shaming can be a very, very powerful tool. If the schools do not handle it appropriately, it could constitute a Title VI violation of the Civil Rights Act. If the school is found in violation of Title VI, then they could lose funding.”
Hruza said HB 2061 has bipartisan support and benefits from activity early in the legislative session.
“We are fortunate because we are probably the first committee hearing of the session,” he said. “The speaker and the majority leader both have supported the bill. It’s looking really very promising.”
