(The Center Square) – The Antisemitism Education Act is headed to Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs’ desk after its final passage by the Legislature.
The Arizona House passed House Bill 2867 on a 38 to 20 vote Wednesday with bipartisan support. The legislation bars public schools and public colleges from promoting antisemitic conduct and creates disciplinary procedures for violations.
The bill says teachers, principals, other school administrators, contractors and volunteers can’t instruct or train students in any antisemitism or antisemitic conduct. They’re barred from creating “a hostile educational environment” and can’t call for genocide of any groups.
The legislation also says students can’t be required to advocate for “an antisemitic point of view” or promote antisemitic conduct. It also prohibits the use of public funds for antisemitic instruction.
HB 2867 also stipulates schools can’t require curriculum that includes antisemitism or antisemitic conduct or award credit to a high school student who takes such a course.
Under the legislation, the first offense by a teacher or principal leads to a formal reprimand. Their professional certificate can be suspended for a period after the second offense and revoked after the third. The bill also allows students and their parents to take court action after administrative remedies are exhausted.
“Arizona’s students and teachers deserve to learn and work in an environment free from antisemitic hate,” said state Rep. Michael Way, R-Queen Creek, the legislation’s sponsor, in a House news release. “This bill ensures schools are places of learning, not battlegrounds for political indoctrination.”
The release said the bill is part of the House Republican Majority Plan’s priority to promote public safety and confront hate in Arizona schools.
Opponents of the bill have included the Arizona Education Association. They say existing disciplinary measures are enough to prevent teachers from acting in a discriminatory manner. They added they’re concerned the bill will strip educators of professional liability protections if they’re falsely accused of antisemitism.
“On behalf of our members, we write in strong opposition to House Bill 2867, which would create significant and untenable personal liability for public school educators, encourage bad faith and costly litigation, and exacerbate the attrition of educators in Arizona public schools while doing nothing to address the scourge of antisemitism,” the AEA and other opponents wrote in a joint letter, dated May 6, to legislators and Hobbs.
The opponents added they’re concerned about hate crimes nearly doubling in schools and are committed to working with the Legislature “to protect students from all forms of hate.”
