Parents Claim Expulsion of Jewish Students After Reporting Bullying

Two parents from Virginia are alleging that their three Jewish children were expelled from a prestigious private school after they reported experiencing anti-Semitic bullying aimed at one of their sixth-grade daughters.

The Nysmith School in Herndon, Virginia, recognized in 2015 as one of the “Top 10 Schools in the World” by Johns Hopkins University’s Talent Youth Center, reportedly has overstated its achievements since then.

A complaint submitted to the Virginia Attorney General’s Office of Civil Rights states that Brian Vazquez and Ashok Roy were expelled from the school on March 13th. The complaint included an image of a group of students displaying a cartoon drawing that seemingly depicted Adolf Hitler, which was part of a social studies project about “strong historical leaders.”

The complaint argues, “The school allowed anti-Semitism to become entrenched in her class.” It continued that the image—including “Hitler’s unmistakable face”—was shared with the entire school, followed by a series of severe anti-Semitic harassment incidents aimed at the girl.

Parents express concerns that Nysmith has not done enough to support their children, especially after the school presented a Palestinian flag in the gym, which they believe intensified the harassment. The issue reportedly escalated when their daughter faced bullying and was derogatorily called “Jewish baby murderer” in front of classmates. One child reportedly told her that “everyone in the school is against Jews and Israel, so they hate you.”

The parents claim they met with school principal Kenneth Nysmith to discuss their daughter’s harassment, hoping for action. However, according to them, little was done. They mentioned that after informing the principal about worsening bullying, he simply advised her daughter to “toughen up” before abruptly ending the meeting.

A few days later, they were informed that all three children had been expelled, allegedly with prior notice sent just before their mid-term report cards were issued, complicating their attempts to find other schools.

The children, aged 8 and 12, have attended Nysmith since 2021, achieving high marks without any previous disciplinary issues, the complaint stated.

Jeffrey Lang, a lawyer from the Brandeis Human Rights Center, expressed concerns to Fox News Digital about the school’s response to the situation. He remarked, “It’s an elementary school, and this pattern is troubling.” Lang highlighted the importance of addressing anti-Semitic bullying rather than expelling affected families.

Nysmith has pushed back against the allegations, stating that the photos of the cartoon drawings misconstrue the context. In a response to Fox News Digital, he explained, “This was a social studies project studying traits from Machiavelli’s Prince.” He mentioned receiving backlash from a parent regarding one of the students involved in the project who was, notably, Jewish and had a grandmother who survived the Holocaust.

The principal noted that the gym’s flags, including those representing diverse heritages, are placed respectfully, with the Israeli flag positioned before the American flag.

Nysmith further asserted that if families feel threatened by the presence of any flag, such as the Palestinian one, and cannot engage constructively with the school, then perhaps continuing enrollment would not be suitable.

Lang countered that there were no complaints about the Palestinian flag itself, insisting that the root issue was the failure to address bullying. He emphasized, “It’s straightforward—schools should protect children from harassment. We must not overlook this, even if complicated global issues arise.”

The principal has denied having asked one of the children to toughen up, insisting he never used such language. He aims to create an inclusive environment for all students, acknowledging the emotional complexity that can arise, especially during international crises.

The complaint alleges that the Nysmith School violated the Virginia Human Rights Act through discrimination and retaliation against the children. Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares has acknowledged the complaint, emphasizing the need for protective measures against harassment in all educational institutions. He is adamant that no student should feel unsafe or targeted in Virginia schools.

Miayres stated, “If this situation is verified, it constitutes a clear violation of the Virginia Human Rights Act. Our goal is to ensure that every student can feel secure in their educational environment.”