Howard County’s Public School System was recently investigated by the Department of Education for incidents involving school-sanctioned walkouts directed against Jews and Israel, racial slurs, bullying and intimidation directed at Jewish students and vandalism involving Nazi symbols (Howard schools had 28 incidents of discrimination against Jewish students, federal investigation finds, Jan. 17, 2025).

In addition to allowing this hostile environment to exist, the school system was criticized for inadequate record-keeping which served to minimize or hide these complaints. The school system has now agreed to take steps to ameliorate the problem.

Nevertheless, concerns remain.

The same faculty and staff who overlooked or were unaware of the problem are the ones being asked to remedy the problem. After failing to recognize antisemitism when it occurred, they are now tasked with developing a definition of antisemitism. I urge them to look to outside sources such as The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) for help in developing new policies.

I also question how antisemitism is currently taught in the schools. Is the Holocaust properly addressed in age-appropriate classes? Are the students aware of how small acts of antisemitism can rapidly devolve into violence and chaos? Do they understand the centuries of antisemitism that have occurred throughout the world?

The demands of the Education Department are a step in the right direction. But many more steps will be needed to effect the changes that will truly ensure a safe and inclusive environment for all students in Howard County.

Rabbi Yanky Baron is director of Chabad of Ellicott City