Following civil rights complaint, federal resolution mandates reforms to how district addresses antisemitism
(Concord, Massachusetts – April 20, 2026) — ADL (the Anti-Defamation League), the Louis D.
The agreement follows a federal civil rights filing by attorneys from ADL, Brandeis Center, and Mayer Brown, with support from StandWithUs Saidoff Law as a legal consultant. Their June 2025 federal filing on behalf of a Jewish family whose child was enrolled in the district documented a pervasive pattern of antisemitic harassment, bullying, and discrimination at Concord-Carlisle High School and Concord Middle School.
That filing documented an alarming pattern of antisemitic bullying, slurs, threats, and retaliation at Concord-Carlisle schools, with at least one Jewish student forced to leave the district entirely to escape the hostile environment. The filing alleged that school officials repeatedly failed to take timely or effective action to address antisemitic harassment despite receiving numerous reports spanning multiple academic years. The allegations in the filing included egregious incidents of antisemitism in the district such as threatening and harassing rhetoric in which students identified themselves as “Team Auschwitz” or “Team Hamas.” Even after the filing, Jewish students continued to be harassed and targeted with swastikas and slurs such as “Zionist scum.”
Under the terms of the DOJ’s agreement, Concord-Carlisle must undertake a series of initiatives to strengthen its compliance with federal civil rights law when responding to allegations of harassment based on religion, race, or national origin, including antisemitism. These measures include updating district policies, improving procedures for documenting and investigating reports of harassment, expanding annual staff training, providing age-appropriate education for students about antisemitism and how to report concerns, and designating a district-level compliance officer to oversee responses to harassment complaints. The Department of Justice will oversee the district’s reporting for compliance with the settlement agreement and federal law, which will be critical to ensuring these measures result in meaningful and sustained change.
Fully addressing antisemitism in the district will require further, sustained action. This includes ensuring full compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act and Executive Orders issued on antisemitism, incorporating into district practices the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of antisemitism and its examples, and applying those standards consistently to all reported incidents.
“Having the Department of Justice pursue enforcement action sends a powerful message that antisemitism in schools is not solely a local issue; it is a federal civil rights concern that demands a serious response,” said Corena Larimer, Senior National Litigation Counsel, ADL. “Fully addressing antisemitism in the district will require sustained commitment and comprehensive action. We hope this agreement marks a turning point, not only for Concord-Carlisle but also for Jewish students and families across the country who are fighting for safe and healthy school environments.”
“We appreciate the U.S. Department of Justice’s continued focus on combating antisemitism and its efforts to bring accountability to Concord-Carlisle. The Department’s work represents an important step forward, but more should be done beyond provisions aimed at strengthening policies, training, and oversight,” said Hon. Kenneth L. Marcus, chairman of the Brandeis Center and the former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Education who ran the Office for Civil Rights. “It is equally important that responses to incidents address the full range of antisemitic conduct affecting students, in all its forms, including both traditional expressions and contemporary manifestations. We look forward to seeing these reforms fully implemented and hope for continued collaboration to ensure that Jewish students are afforded the same protections, dignity, and sense of safety as all students, and that no form of antisemitic alignment or expression – whether overt or coded – is minimized or overlooked.”
The resolution agreement reflects many of the measures ADL, Brandeis Center, and Mayer Brown called for in their original filing, which urged the district to adopt clear protocols for addressing antisemitism, conduct annual training on antisemitism for all staff and students, conduct a district-wide audit of Title VI compliance and incident response, and issue a clear stand-alone statement denouncing antisemitism.
“This resolution is a win for all Concord-Carlisle students and a testament to what is possible when affected communities demand that their schools live up to their legal and moral obligations,” said Samantha Joseph, ADL New England Regional Director. “We will be watching closely to ensure these commitments translate into a genuinely safer environment for Jewish students in Concord-Carlisle.”
“This resolution reflects what sustained, collaborative advocacy can achieve when families, civil
rights organizations, and pro bono counsel work together to enforce protections guaranteed under federal law,” said Mayer Brown Counsel David Yolkut. “We are proud to support efforts aimed at strengthening protections for Jewish students.”
“Our family endured antisemitism that was serious and pervasive enough to trigger a federal civil rights investigation. No family should ever have to go through what we did,” said the family represented by ADL, Brandeis Center, and Mayer Brown. “We are grateful for this formal Settlement Agreement and encouraged that the District has committed to revised policies, comprehensive training, stronger investigation procedures, and ongoing monitoring and reporting to the Department of Justice. We were also moved by the grassroots response from the community — neighbors, parents, and students who came together to form Concord-Carlisle Against Antisemitism and pushed for systemic change. That kind of community solidarity gives us hope for what comes next.”
“Where antisemitism is allowed to flourish, learning and true progress are stifled. We welcome this settlement, which includes provisions that, properly implemented, will help ensure all of the district’s students, including its Jewish students, receive an education free from discrimination based on their protected identities.” said Jenna Statfeld Harris, Senior Counsel at StandWithUs Saidoff Law.
Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination based on race, color, and national origin, including discrimination against Jews on the basis of their actual or perceived shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics, in educational institutions that receive federal funding. This case was referred through the K-12 Antisemitism Legal Line, a legal helpline run by ADL, the Brandeis Center, StandWithUs and several leading law firms to provide pro bono legal assistance to parents of students in K-12 school settings who are experiencing antisemitism.
