FULTON COUNTY, GA — The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights has opened an investigation into allegations of antisemitism in the Fulton County School District. The investigation follows a complaint filed by the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law. The complaint claims Jewish and Israeli students have faced repeated verbal and physical harassment at eight schools across the district, including elementary, middle, and high schools.

Denise Katz-Prober, Esq., Director of Legal Initiatives at the Brandeis Center, says the reported harassment has been ongoing and largely ignored by school officials.

“This targeted harassment was left unaddressed, allowed to fester and metastasize, leaving Jewish students to feel unsafe and unwelcomed in school,” she said. “They did not stop the harassment from occurring. They didn’t ensure that perpetrators were held accountable.”

According to the complaint, bullying and harassment increased after the start of the war in Gaza. Katz-Prober described several incidents, including one in which an Israeli middle school student was told by a classmate that “somebody needs to bomb your country.” In another case, a high school student allegedly mimicked shooting at a group of Jewish and Israeli girls while making gunshot noises.

Katz-Prober also shared details of what she called a particularly disturbing encounter involving a fifth-grade student. “A student asked an Israeli fifth-grade student if she was Israeli, and then told her she hates Jews, and all Israelis should be killed.”

The Brandeis Center is urging the federal government to hold the Fulton County School District accountable and ensure protections are in place for Jewish and Israeli students. Despite concerns about changes within the Department of Education under the Trump administration, Katz-Prober says she is hopeful the investigation will move forward.

In response, the Fulton County School District issued a statement saying it “takes any allegations of discrimination or harassment seriously” and that it investigates all reported incidents thoroughly.

The investigation is ongoing.

WSBs Ashley Simmons contributed to this story