Image Credit: capitol.tn.gov
The Tennessee Conservative [By Paula Gomes] –
A bill prohibiting the teaching of anti-Semitic concepts in Tennessee K-12 schools, and institutions of higher learning, passed the Senate unanimously on Thursday.
The bill will now go to Governor Bill Lee to be signed into law, vetoed or returned without his signature.
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The amendment that was adopted by the Senate states that “anti-Semitism remains a persistent, disturbing problem in elementary and secondary schools and on college campuses; and… Jewish students are being threatened, harassed, or intimidated in their schools on the basis of their shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics, which includes harassing conduct that creates a hostile environment so severe, pervasive, or persistent so as to interfere with or limit some students’ ability to participate in or benefit from the services, activities, or opportunities offered by schools.”
House Bill 2673 (HB2673) sponsored by Representative Jerry Sexton (R-Bean Station-District 35) and its companion Senate Bill 2684 (SB2684) sponsored by Senator Paul Rose (R-Nashville-District 32) requires the governing body of each school district to adopt a written policy concerning the teaching of anti-Semitic rhetoric by teachers and administrative staff and requires that the policy be distributed or made available to each teacher and staff member at the beginning of each school year.
An Amendment to the bill states that if a state governmental entity or an LEA receives a complaint from a person alleging that antisemitism has occurred on school grounds then the state governmental entity or LEA should “consider the working definition of antisemitism adopted by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) on May 26, 2016, including the “contemporary examples of antisemitism,” in determining whether the alleged act was motivated by antisemitic intent.”
About the Author: Paula Gomes is a Tennessee resident and reporter for The Tennessee Conservative. You can reach Paula at paula@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
