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Over two dozen Jewish organizations joined JPAC in rebuking the Teachers Union for rejecting the bill.
By Shula Rosen
A California bill aimed at combating antisemitism in K–12 schools is drawing fierce backlash from the state’s largest teachers union, even as it garners strong bipartisan support and backing from leading Jewish organizations.
Assembly Bill 715, introduced by Assemblymembers Rick Chavez Zbur and Dawn Addis, seeks to strengthen protections for Jewish students facing hate and discrimination on campus.
The legislation, supported by the state’s Jewish, Black, Latino, Native American, Asian American, and Pacific Islander legislative caucuses, would create a full-time State Antisemitism Coordinator, enhance the state’s complaint system for discrimination, and broaden protections under the Education Code.
“AB 715 will increase accountability and help ensure a uniformly safe and supportive school climate across California,” Zbur was quoted in a press release. Addis added, “This bill makes sure that Jewish students are not left behind when we talk about inclusion and equity in education.”
Despite passing key Assembly committees without opposition, the California Teachers Association (CTA) came out against the bill last week. In response, the Jewish Public Affairs Committee of California (JPAC), backed by over two dozen Jewish organizations, issued a public rebuke.
“CTA’s recently released opposition letter is not only offensive – it is fundamentally hypocritical,” JPAC stated. “They claim to oppose antisemitism yet reject any meaningful action to address it.”
The statement continued, “Instead of offering real solutions, they propose vague, universalist ‘restorative practices’ and training to ‘create safe spaces’ – wholly inadequate responses to the dangerous reality of antisemitism in schools.”
The bill’s authors say they engaged with CTA in years of dialogue and repeatedly revised AB 715 to address the union’s concerns. “Each time we meet CTA’s demands, the goalposts move,” JPAC said.
With antisemitic incidents rising in California schools and recent state investigations confirming patterns of anti-Jewish bias in classrooms, supporters say the bill offers clear and urgent solutions. “The conditions in our schools demand action now,” JPAC concluded.
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