The Culver City Unified School District (CCUSD) School Board President and a Member have been sharing antisemitic content on social media using their CCUSD accounts, have blocked CCUSD parents who express concern, and have publicly shamed and questioned a Rabbi on the topic of antisemitism. This has been going on, unchecked by other Board Members, since before October 7, but has notably increased since that fateful date.

By disregarding and de facto allowing School Board leadership to share hateful, discriminatory content using CCUSD accounts, it isolates and silences Jewish families from feeling like CCUSD supports them, it makes it okay for others to bolster antisemitic behavior, and, most critically, it shows Jewish students that their School Board does not support them.

This has been going on for far too long without any notable action or response from the School Board. As antisemitism continues to rise across the globe, let’s make CCUSD a safe, welcoming place for Jewish families. 

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FULL LETTER:

We, the undersigned members of the Jewish community, and with extended support from the greater Culver City community, are requesting that the Board take constructive steps to end the antisemitic behavior happening within the Board and to begin to reestablish a strong relationship with CCUSD Jewish families.

The core concern of this letter pertains to Board President Kelly Kent’s repeated social media activity that is hostile to the Jewish community and antisemitic in nature. 

Previously, both before and after October 7, the Culver City Jewish community and others expressed similar concerns to this Board as Board President Kent’s posts violated CCUSD’s Nondiscrimination/Harassment policy. The Board passed Resolution 21, which acknowledges the rise in antisemitism, the harm of antisemitism, and the resolute denouncement of any form of antisemitism in CCUSD by the Board Members. Unfortunately, the hateful postings have continued without any public statements or corrective actions from CCUSD.

Since Resolution 21, the number of antisemitic incidents continue to soar; they are at record highs since statistics started being tracked in 1979. President Biden, the FBI, and DHS have repeatedly sounded the alarm about the frightening level of antisemitism in our country. This is on stark display across the country, including across our college campuses and right here in Culver City.

Rather than acknowledge the rise in hate, we were horrified to see the President of the Culver City School Board sharing an interview, which was summarized on Kent’s feed as stating that “reports of explosive growth of antisemitism on the U.S. left are exaggerated." Kent’s behavior shows an utter disregard for what Jewish students experience. Such behavior is markedly different from Dr. Kent’s own statements on how other disadvantaged communities’ claims of discrimination, microaggressions or harmful speech should be addressed.

Moreover, Board President Kent recently took to social media to comment on a post by a local Rabbi, who had commented on the antisemitic and destructive nature of the Columbia students’ actions. Board President Kent responded to him by stating, “Rabbi this breaks my heart to see you say. I don’t know if you have but if not, please go visit UCLA or another campus, engage for half a day and report back.” Insulting the perspective of a respected clergy member, who leads many CCUSD families, is another example of her utter disregard and contempt for the Jewish community. This behavior received no public response from CCUSD. 

However, Board President Kent’s actions are being increasingly noticed by parents. In response to Board President Kent’s attempt at the public shaming of the Rabbi, many parents replied or tagged her in disapproving posts. As she has done many times before, Board President Kent blocked CCUSD parents on social media instead of engaging with them; since Board President Kent blends her personal and Board social media, these CCUSD parents no longer have access to her CCUSD content.

Soon after tweeting at the Rabbi, a Culver City High School student organization reached out to the City Council to request help to support the anti-Israel encampments at UCLA and USC. After the encampments were taken down, the student organization shifted its aim to raising money for an entity that publicly applauded the October 7 massacre. To be clear, we do not blame the students. However, rather than steer students away from supporting antisemitism and breaking the law, both Board President Kent and Board Member Paula Amezola used their CCUSD social media handles to actively support the students in their endeavor. Such actions are beyond the pale and again, have been met with public silence from CCUSD.

The above actions have created a palpable sense of anxiety, a clear feeling of “othering” from the Board to the Jewish community, and a fear of retaliation among CCUSD Jews. Parents are hesitant to speak out, worried that their children will be retaliated against. Teachers and staff feel silenced, as they fear of putting their jobs at risk by speaking out. This would not be acceptable if it were happening to any other underrepresented group and there should be no tolerance for such behavior directed at Jews.

We take issue that not only has Board President Kent failed to recognize the antisemitism happening in her own district, but that she and others actively spread antisemitic messages and/or endorsed antisemitic conduct. In so doing, they minimize the alarming rise of antisemitism faced by Jews around the world. 

Our concern is profound, and growing; this dismissive stance not only overlooks the painful realities faced by Jewish communities but also undermines the urgent need for solidarity and proactive measures against such discrimination.

Therefore, we request the following:

A) Honor Culver City Unified School District’s (“CCUSD”) Board’s commitment to step forward to speak out against antisemitism and any form of hate speech when it occurs anywhere in the District or by District officials or employees; and

B) Provide training and guidance on antisemitism sensitivity and awareness for the Board, senior district staff, and school leadership, to be administered by the American Jewish Committee or Anti-Defamation League; and

C) Require all current and future Board Members to create Official CCUSD Board Member social media accounts, to be kept completely separate from personal usage; and

D) Create a Jewish Families Advisory Council to collaborate on the above, and work to foster a stronger sense of support for Jewish students, parents, teachers, and staff.

We are hopeful that a purposeful, continuous effort to honor and respect each other’s religious backgrounds can restore a sense of unity among all members of the CCUSD community.