Town and schools face fury at first public antisemitism reckoning

David Yoken says he and his wife moved here because it’s a place where “ideals of liberty and moral courage still echo.” 

But at a packed Select Board meeting Monday night, Yoken said that today, “many Jewish families — mine included — are asking whether Acton still lives up to that promise.”

The Select Board session marked the town’s first major public discussion on antisemitism since a federal filing detailed years of abuse that a family claims forced them to transfer their child out of Acton-Carlisle High School. 

Nearly 100 people showed up or logged on via Zoom, many there to pledge their support and demand change from town and school leaders. 

During an intense and emotionally charged session, Yoken said a student gave his eighth-grade son a “Heil Hitler” salute during a recent class trip. “What am I supposed to tell him on his first day of high school?” Yoken asked. “‘Don’t let anyone know you’re Jewish?’”

Recent CCHS graduate Stella Kaplowitz prompted gasps from the audience in describing her experiences at the school — and those involved faculty.

Once, she said, a teacher interrupted an assembly about hate graffiti to undercut antisemitism data. Another time, she said, classmates told her that a faculty member urged students to “acknowledge the positive contributions” of Hitler’s regime, “such as his great impact on the German economy.”

Today, Kaplowitz said, she’s “outraged by the continuous failure of the district to handle these issues.” 

“How long will you go on putting up with this?” she asked. 

Parent Scott Smigler, said antisemitic hate will have lifelong effects on the victims. “Where is the anger that this is happening?” he asked. “Where’s your love for these students?” 

A measured response

CCHS School Committee chair Tracey Marano declined to answer questions from a Acton Bridge reporter after Monday’s meeting. 

In a Tuesday morning email statement, she and K-8 Chair Andrew Herchek said they had read the June 30 brief from the Anti-Defamation League, the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law, and the Mayer Brown law firm. 

“No student or family in our community should ever feel unsafe, unheard, or unwelcome,” Marano and Herchek wrote. 

Schools Superintendent Laurie Hunter did not respond to Bridge questions before press time. 

In an email to families on July 11, she wrote that the district doesn’t tolerate “any comments, acts, gestures, or symbols of hate or bias toward any group of students.” Hunter also outlined efforts to fight bias and build community, including meeting with local rabbis and training staff on the bias reporting system.

DEI Commission criticism

The ADL and other groups filed allegations with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights to supplement an ongoing federal investigation into alleged antisemitic abuse at the middle and high schools. 

The groups said parents tried to get help, but administrators failed to stop rampant bullying. The brief also acknowledged previously reported antisemitic vandalism. 

On Monday, DEI Commission co-chair Rose Cratsley outlined a five-part DEI Commission plan that she said “offers a path forward.” 

The plan would launch a new incident reporting system. Among other measures, Cratsley urged town leadership to hire a DEI director — a move voters supported at Town Meeting in 2023.

Multiple Select Board members backed the outline, with Paul Boehm saying it includes “exactly the right components.” 

But several residents objected that the DEI plan didn’t have enough input from the Jewish community and should focus on antisemitism.

Parent Brian Farber noted a DEI proposal for a “restorative healing forum,” but said many Jewish families “aren’t ready for healing until there’s been an honest reckoning, understanding, and clear accountability.” 

“Antisemitism was hiding in plain sight,” he said. “We just closed our eyes.”

July 22 meeting  

Rabbi Darby Leigh of the Kerem Shalom synagogue told The Bridge via email that he was “deeply concerned and upset” by allegations in the June 30 brief. Leigh called most of those claims “new information for me” and said he was scheduled to meet with CCHS leaders on Monday. 

Marano and Herchek said their committees must “take a clear-eyed look” at school policies, programming, and training. 

They said they will ensure the School Committee and the administration work with community members to boost the schools as “a place where every student feels safe, respected, and supported.” 

“The school district cannot do this alone,” they said. 

After just under two weeks of pressure, the committees scheduled a special meeting for July 22 to discuss recent events. Marano confirmed the committee will take public comment, although the meeting will be online only because members have preexisting out-of-town commitments. 

Select Board members said they plan to attend. 

As residents mingled after Monday’s discussion, parent Marc Girolimetti said, “A lot of people are angry.” He expects concerned families will also show up next week.

Girolimetti has spoken out about antisemitism at multiple School Committee meetings.

After seeing a dozen others speak their mind Monday night, he said, “This is what momentum looks like.”

Wednesday, July 16, 1:28 p.m. This story has been updated.