Newsom Warns Schools Not to Adopt Ethnic Studies Curriculum Promoting “Bias, Bigotry, or Discrimination”
California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) issued a letter on August 23 warning schools not to adopt any ethnic studies curriculum that promotes “bias, bigotry or discrimination.”
The full letter, authored by Newsom Education Policy Adviser Brooks Allen, stated that under AB 101, schools will be required to offer a semester-long ethnic studies course to students in 9th-12th grade starting in the 2025-26 academic year and then such courses will be a graduation requirement in the 2029-30 academic year. But AB 101 also states that any ethnic studies curriculum adopted by schools cannot “reflect or promote, directly or indirectly, any bias, bigotry, or discrimination against any person or group of persons on the basis of any category.” “Vendors have begun promoting curriculum for [local education agencies] to use for ethnic studies courses. We have been advised, however, that some vendors are offering materials that may not meet the requirements of AB 101,” Allen, who is also the executive director of the State Board of Education, added that this was particularly true regarding the requirement that the curriculum can’t promote “bias, bigotry or discrimination.”
UC Berkeley AEPi House Hit with Shellfish
UC Berkeley’s Alpha Epsilon Pi (AEPi) fraternity house had shellfish thrown on it during Shabbat.
The AEPi chapter posted a statement to social media on August 27 stating that “a group of six individuals” put the shellfish on the front door and then threw it “into the house and onto the front porch, also scattering it around the premises.” “By singling out AEPi, the Jewish fraternity, and deliberately employing non-kosher food, this act of vandalism goes beyond mere destruction; it represents a calculated decision to target Jewish students within the campus community,” they added. The AEPi chapter said they are working with the campus and city police as well as the university on the matter.
But UC Berkeley Assistant Vice Chancellor Dan Mogulof told the Journal that “new details have emerged that suggest a recent incident at UC Berkeley might not have been targeted specifically at the Jewish fraternity, and that similar vandalism (the deposit of shellfish) may have occurred at multiple fraternities. However, the incident is still under investigation and all details have yet to emerge.” “Regardless of the chain of events, the members of the Jewish fraternity were very understandably upset to see what appeared to be a targeted attack on their Jewish religious and cultural traditions,” Mogoluf continued. “UC Berkeley campus leadership has taken this issue very seriously and has been in regular communication with key stakeholders on campus and at the fraternity about next steps and how best to move forward.”
CUNY Hires Marc Lamont Hill
The City University of New York (CUNY) has brought on Marc Lamont Hill as a presidential professor of Urban Education at CUNY’s Graduation Center.
Hill told The Philadelphia Inquirer on Tuesday that he has “always dreamed of” the opportunity that CUNY is providing, saying that his decision is “was much more a pull from CUNY than a push from Temple.” Hill had been working at Temple University’s Klein College of Media and Communication as a professor and Steve Charles Chair in Media, Cities and Solutions. Hill was fired from CNN in 2018 after he said in a speech to the United Nations, “We have an opportunity to not just offer solidarity in words but to commit to political action, grass-roots action, local action and international action that will give us what justice requires and that is a free Palestine from the river to the sea.” He eventually apologized for those remarks.
A CUNY Graduate spokesperson told The New York Post, “Professor Hill, a widely respected expert in his field, was unanimously selected by the Urban Education hiring committee for a position that focuses on advancing conversation and research about the role of education in American society. The committee reviewed the entirety of his scholarship and public comments, which include a public letter of apology for remarks made half a decade ago and his strong, unequivocal condemnations of antisemitism and antisemitic violence.”
Homophobic Graffiti in Front of UMich Jewish Center
The sidewalk in front of the University of Michigan’s Jewish Resource Center was vandalized with homophobic graffiti on August 22.
FOX 2 Detroit reported that video footage shows two suspects committing the vandalism at 5 p.m. that evening. University President Santa J. Ono said in a statement, “We are aware of the homophobic graffiti that has been reported to Ann Arbor Police on the sidewalk in front of the Jewish Resource Center, an organization located near our campus that provides support to students seeking to stay involved or become involved in Judaism. The Jewish Resource Center is an important and valued part of our campus community.” She added that the graffiti was “the second act of vandalism at a Jewish-centered location in the past three months. We strongly denounce this act of vandalism and all antisemitic acts.”
USC Student Added to AJC Campus Board
USC student Chanelle Mizrahi is joining the American Jewish Committee’s (AJC) Campus Global Board.
The AJC announced in an August 22 press release that Mizrahi will be one of 30 students on the board from campuses across the globe as a resource to teach students about Jewish advocacy and other various issues.
“This board is all about empowerment,” AJC Director of Campus Affairs Jeffrey Greenberg said in a statement. “We will ensure these outstanding students have the resources they need to combat anti-Israel bias and antisemitic attitudes. Jewish students deserve to feel safe and protected as much as anyone else.”
