ADL submits complaint claiming Colorado school overlooked antisemitic incidents

ADL Sues Colorado School Over Anti-Semitism

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has initiated a federal lawsuit against the Boulder Valley School District in Colorado, claiming it has not adequately addressed significant anti-Semitic harassment. This legal action highlights a troubling trend of aggression directed at Jewish students over the past two years, including derogatory remarks and physical assaults.

For instance, a high school student reportedly wrapped a laptop charger around a Jewish student’s neck while hurling an anti-Semitic slur. The complaint, filed on June 11, signifies serious accusations against Southern Hills Middle School, suggesting that school authorities ignored two years of persistent bullying, which an investigation recognized as creating a hostile environment.

The Title VI complaint outlines various anti-Semitic events leading up to one particularly alarming incident where the victim was called a “stupid son of a bitch” and choked with a laptop cord.

In April 2025, fellow students allegedly attempted to play a game called “Jewish Touch Tag,” describing Jewish individuals as “dirty” and “contaminated,” as per the lawsuit.

The laptop cord incident took place in December 2025 when a student dragged a Jewish classmate from his chair by the neck with the charger, shouting insults as he did so. This alarming episode prompted an investigation by the Boulder Police Department.

Moreover, in April 2026, the harassment escalated when a peer told the affected student, “Hitler should have killed all the Jews if he had the chance.” The ongoing nature of this mistreatment was so severe that affected students began to stop wearing Star of David necklaces, reported the ADL.

After the laptop cord incident, a safety plan was supposedly established, along with a protective order, but violations were reportedly present from the very beginning, according to ADL Vice President of Litigation, James Pasch.

Pasch emphasized that despite parents’ pleas for intervention to halt the harassment, the school district did not respond adequately. He stated this failure directly contradicts Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. He expressed that families should not have to struggle excessively for the safety of Jewish students and that simply being Jewish should not result in threats or bullying.

In 2025 alone, the ADL noted 167 anti-Semitic incidents in Colorado. The lawsuit further requests a formal apology from the school district to the affected family and seeks adjustments to the anti-Semitism training provided to students within the district.

Pasch noted that when an incident occurs in a classroom and is witnessed by other students, school officials have a responsibility to address it publicly and denounce anti-Semitism directly. He emphasized that it is crucial for school districts to take a firm stance against such behaviors to ensure a safe learning environment for all students, particularly those who identify as Jewish.

Overall, the obligation to protect the students and foster a safe education environment seems imperative. Failing to do so not only endangers those students but also puts the broader Jewish community at risk, thus making the entire Boulder Valley School District less safe.