Local school district being investigated for alleged enabling of ‘rampant antisemitism’
Mar 19, 2025, 6:03 PM
Aerial view of the Lake Washington School District. (Photo courtesy of KIRO 7)
(Photo courtesy of KIRO 7)
The Lake Washington School District (LWSD) in King County is currently being investigated for a federal Title VI complaint filed by the StandWithUs Saidoff Legal Department.
The complaint, according to a news release from StandWithUs Wednesday, alleges the district has “ignored and enabled rampant antisemitism.”
The complaint details several alleged incidents of hostility directed toward Jewish students, including slurs, threats and “biased classroom content,” StandWithUs states.
“Despite multiple reports from students and parents, LWSD has failed to address the systemic issue, allowing the hostile environment to persist,” the organization wrote.
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Lake Washington School District allegedly allowed assaults, ‘antisemitic protests’
The claims range from physical assaults against Jewish students to “disruptive, antisemitic protests” during the school day by off-campus organizations.
“It is no surprise that a hostile environment was able to proliferate within the Lake Washington School District when looking at its leaders’ lack of remedial action in the face of clearly reported antisemitic harassment and discrimination,” Jenna Statfeld Harris, Senior Counsel and K-12 Specialist at StandWithUs Saidoff Legal, said via the news release.
In a statement to KIRO Newsradio Wednesday, the district stated it is adhering to the investigation by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights.
“Lake Washington School District (LWSD) strives to create a safe learning environment for all students and staff,” the district wrote. “LWSD was made aware on March 18, 2025, of this Title VI complaint. The district will fully comply with all the Office for Civil Rights’ requests for information as they investigate and evaluate these claims.”
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