Urge California Legislative Jewish Caucus to Clarify Status of Ethnic Studies Bill and Help Stop Widespread Adoption of Antisemitic “Liberated” Curriculum

Despite “guardrail” amendments that were added to the California ethnic studies high school graduation requirement bill (AB 101) to ensure that required classes would not promote “bias, bigotry and discrimination,” since the bill’s passage in 2021 a growing number of school districts have adopted ethnic studies curricular materials with anti-Jewish and anti-Zionist biases or have contracted with consulting groups that promote an antisemitic “liberated” version of ethnic studies.

Last month, a Jewish Public Affairs Committee of California (JPAC) letter was sent to state officials underscoring the Jewish community’s fear that many school districts throughout the state will opt to teach a version of ethnic studies that promotes antisemitic stereotypes of Jews and Israel.

However, a recently published memorandum makes a compelling case that the state-mandated ethnic studies graduation requirement may not yet be operative, allowing school districts and the state time to re-evaluate whether and how to move forward with the requirement. 

A last-minute amendment to AB 101, apparently added by legislators who worried that the guardrails would not be able to prevent antisemitic “liberated” curricula from being adopted in many school districts, stipulated that the bill is “operative only upon an appropriation of funds by the Legislature.” Yet since the passage of AB 101, no such funds have been allocated.

The stakes are too high to get this wrong. 

An AMCHA-drafted letter calls on members of the  California Legislative Jewish Caucus to:

Please read the full letter to the Jewish Caucus (here) and sign in support.