A hearing will be held at the Missouri State Capitol on Wednesday, Feb. 26 on a bill combatting discrimination and antisemitism in public schools. HB 937 was introduced by Rep. George Hruza (R-St. Louis County). The bill would prohibit antisemitic conduct and integrate the definition of antisemitism into codes of conduct within public schools.

The bill mandates that public schools and public post-secondary schools treat harassment or discrimination motivated by antisemitic intent in the same manner as discrimination based on race.

Additionally, the bill encourages antisemitism awareness training for all public school employees and introduces a Jewish American heritage curriculum. The Missouri legislature made Holocaust education a legal mandate in July 2022. As part of that law, nearly two dozen school districts are currently working through a pilot program that will be expanded to all Missouri schools beginning in the 2025-2026 school year. Missouri is now one of 23 states with mandatory Holocaust education.

Rep. Hruza, who is Jewish, won the November 2024 election for the 89^th District in St. Louis County and started his legislative term on Jan. 8. Hruza, the son a Holocaust survivor, is a physician who specializes in dermatology and Mohs micrographic surgery, according to his campaign biography.

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On Holocaust Remembrance Day (Jan. 27) this year, Hruza spoke to the legislature about his family’s history during the Holocaust. The introduction of antisemitism education legislation is especially timely, Hruza said.

“It’s important because we don’t want our Jewish students to feel unsafe,” Hruza said. “They should be able to focus on their education and not worry about someone harassing them as they try to get a good education.”

Hruza said he was motivated to introduce the bill largely because of antisemitic incidents in schools and colleges since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack.

“Oct. 7t happened, and it showed that there is what you might call latent antisemitism,” he said. “Antisemitic acts increased at colleges, including my alma mater, NYU.”

HB 937 was introduced on Jan. 16. The bill will be read during a public hearing of the Higher Education and Workforce Development committee at 4:30 p.m. in House Hearing Room 1. Public comments can be made at that time, or submitted online before 11:59 p.m. on Feb. 26.