A California bill aimed at combating rising antisemitism in schools faces mounting opposition from education organizations while Jewish advocacy groups urge its passage, highlighting deep divisions over how to address hate in classrooms.

Assembly Bill 715, introduced by Assemblymembers Rick Chavez Zbur (D-Los Angeles) and Dawn Addis (D-San Luis Obispo), would establish California’s first Antisemitism Prevention Coordinator and expand definitions of discrimination to include antisemitism and Islamophobia.

The legislation comes amid what supporters describe as alarming increases in anti-Jewish incidents, with the Anti-Defamation League reporting a 623% surge in antisemitic incidents in California’s K-12 schools over the past decade.

Bill Breezes Through Assembly, Slows in Senate

The bill, sponsored by the Jewish Public Affairs Committee of California, would prohibit schools from using materials that promote discrimination and require specific standards for instructional content about Jews, Israel, or the Israel-Palestine conflict. It passed the Assembly unanimously 68-0.

However, opposition has grown as the bill moves to the Senate. The California Teachers Association, Council of UC Faculty Associations, and now the Association of California School Administrators,  and California County Superintendents have all announced their opposition.

In a July 4 letter, ACSA and the County Superintendents, representing 18,000 school administrators and 58 county superintendents, expressed concern about the bill’s “emphasis on compliance and penalties” and “elevation of one form of hate above others.”

“We believe that the most effective way to combat antisemitism is through education, not regulation,” the organizations wrote, advocating for “proactive strategies” and “restorative justice approach” rather than punitive measures. They warned the bill would have a “chilling effect on instruction, learning, and dialogue” regarding sensitive geopolitical issues.

CTA Says Bill Is Flawed. AB 715 Supporters Call It ‘Practical, Fair’

The education organizations join CTA, which earlier argued the bill would impose unprecedented limits on teaching about Israel and Palestine, potentially weaponizing complaint procedures that have been used to challenge LGBTQ+ inclusivity.

In response, over 20 major Jewish organizations condemned CTA’s opposition in a July 7 statement, calling it “hypocritical and misleading.” The groups, including the Anti-Defamation League, American Jewish Committee, and Jewish Federations across California, accused the teachers’ union of rejecting “meaningful action to address” antisemitism despite supporting similar protections for other communities.

“They claim to oppose antisemitism yet reject any meaningful action to address it,” the Jewish coalition wrote, urging lawmakers to “stand firmly with California’s Jewish students and advance this bill without delay.”

Supporters argue the bill provides “practical, fair tools” to address what they call a crisis in schools, while opponents warn it could suppress academic freedom and create unequal treatment of different forms of discrimination.

The bill is now before Senate committees, where lawmakers face the challenge of balancing protections for Jewish students against concerns about academic freedom and equitable approaches to all forms of hate.