A Jewish family from Seattle has filed a federal lawsuit against the city’s school district, alleging that their daughter, a student at Nathan Hale High School, endured severe antisemitic harassment for an entire academic year without the administration stepping in to halt the escalation.
According to the lawsuit, the harassment included slurs, threats, swastikas drawn in classrooms and in the sports program, as well as harsh statements made by students after October 7. Among other remarks, students told her they hoped Hitler would “finish the job.”
The student, the granddaughter of Holocaust survivors, wore a Star of David necklace and took part in the school’s Jewish student union.
The situation escalated about a year and a half ago, when roughly twenty students surrounded her classroom door, called for her to come out, and shouted insults at her. The teacher locked the door, and only after the lesson ended did security staff escort her from the area.
Although, according to the lawsuit, the administration was aware of the harassment and even met with the parents, no significant disciplinary steps were taken, police were not called at the time, and the student was even told to avoid public areas during breaks.
Following the incidents, the student was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, and her parents were forced to transfer her to another school district, incurring substantial medical and educational expenses.
The lawsuit notes that this is part of a broader pattern, citing reports of more than a dozen antisemitic incidents in the local school system in recent years.
The family is suing the Seattle School District for violating civil rights law, alleging that their daughter was denied equal access to education, and is seeking damages as well as a mandate to reform the district’s policies for handling such incidents.