Dem gov says ban on antisemitism in classrooms ‘attacking our teachers’

Democrat Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs vetoed a bill on Tuesday meant to ban teachers from “promoting antisemitism or anti-semitic conduct” in the classroom.

The Tucson Jewish Museum & Holocaust Center (TJMHC) spoke out against the bill on Friday, claiming it would undermine education about the Holocaust, which the organization says is essential for combatting discrimination against Jews. Hobbs cited TJMHC’s letter in her veto of the bill, saying the legislation would “attack our public education system” and “unfairly targets public school teachers.”

“Antisemitism is a scourge on our society and a deeply troubling issue in our country,” the governor’s veto message reads. “Unfortunately, this bill is not about antisemitism; it’s about attacking our teachers. It puts an unacceptable level of personal liability in place for our public school, community college, and university educators and staff, opening them up to threats of personally costly lawsuits.”

TJMHC did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.

The bill would have allowed students, parents or school staff to bring a complaint against individual teachers for instructing any lessons deemed to constitute “harassment or discrimination and that creates a hostile educational environment” relating to antisemitism. If found to have “recklessly violated” the bill’s ban, such teachers would be “personally liable” in court.

The bill also applied to both K-12 staff and faculty of colleges and universities in the state.

First offenses of the bill would have warranted a formal reprimand, then a suspension of a teacher’s certificate, then a revocation of a teacher’s certificate entirely, according to the bill’s text.

In 2024, Hobbs signed a bill expanding Arizona’s requirement for students to be taught about the Holocaust

Hobbs’ office did not immediately respond to the DCNF’s request for comment.