Law is aimed at bias in schools

Newsom signs AB 715, which sprang from concerns that students faced antisemitism.

- BY HOWARD BLUME

A CO-AUTHOR of Assembly Bill 715 called the legislation "a historic first... that centers on the well-being of children across our state."

Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed into law a bill that sets up a state Office for Civil Rights to combat antisemitism and other forms of discrimination in California schools.

Assembly Bill 715 was among the most hotly contested education-related measures, spawning from dissatisfaction, largely among a coalition of Jewish groups, with the way ethnic studies has been taught in some California classrooms.

The critics said that in some schools, ethnic studies classes have improperly focused on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and that lessons reflected bias against Jews. The allegations of bias are denied by those instructors who include lessons about the conflict in their syllabus.

The Office for Civil Rights will report to the governor's Cabinet. It will take on a monitoring and assistance mission: fielding complaints and questions; preparing learning materials and reports on identifying and combating discrimination; and helping teachers, schools and school districts comply with state antidiscrimination laws.

Different forms of discrimination would be addressed by a specialized coordinator — one each for antisemitism, religious discrimination, race and ethnicity discrimination, gender discrimination and LGBTQ+ discrimination.

The final version of the bill-paired with companion state Senate Bill 48 - expanded beyond an initial focus on antisemitism. This revision was a response to those who questioned why the original bill language addressed only discrimination against Jews.