HERNDON, Va. (7News) — A school in Herndon has agreed to a settlement with a Jewish family who claimed their children were wrongfully kicked out after the parents reported their daughter was targeted for her religion and ethnicity.
The parents filed a complaint with the Attorney General’s Office of Civil Rights, which later issued a charge of discrimination for Nysmith School for the Gifted. It alleged that students at the school picked on the 11-year-old girl for being “Israeli.”
They also called Jews “baby killers” and mocked the girl about her uncle’s death, Attorney General Jason Miyares said. The students allegedly told the girl they were glad her uncle died in the Oct. 7 attack, despite him passing away years prior.
Two days after the parents reported the incident to Nysmith’s headmaster, they got an email explaining that all three of their kids had been expelled, according to Miyares.
7News reached out to the headmaster of the Nysmith School, Ken Nysmith, at the time the incident was made public in July, but never heard back.
READ | Complaint alleges 3 Jewish students were kicked out of Virginia school
Under the settlement terms with the Attorney General, Nysmith has agreed to monetary relief and to implement new policies at the school.
It has also agreed to:
“Combating antisemitism is a top priority for my office. Every child deserves to learn in an environment free from hate, intimidation, or fear,” said Miyares.
The Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington’s Chief Operating Office Guila Franklin Siegel also issued a statement on the settlement agreement.
“We welcome today’s announcement from the Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law that a settlement has been reached with the Nysmith School for its egregious handling of a case of antisemitic bullying and harassment. We hope this settlement provides long-overdue comfort for the Vasquez/Roy family whose children were subjected to severe mistreatment while school administrators responded first with silence and then with retribution. We also hope it reminds school officials everywhere that antisemitism must never be tolerated or encouraged.
“To call the facts of this case an outrage would be an understatement. Several months ago, the Vasquez/Roy family reported that their 11-year old daughter was experiencing unrelenting antisemitism from peers at Nysmith, including taunts that Jews were “baby killers” who deserved to die. After refusing repeated requests to put an end to this insidious behavior, school officials then expelled the family’s three children from the school.
“With this settlement, Nysmith School administrators have finally accepted responsibility for their callous disregard of student safety and health. After working closely with the Vasquez/Smith family since before their initial complaint was filed, JCRC will be leading all training sessions and programs provided by Nysmith School under the terms of this agreement, including annual mandatory antisemitism training for administrators, faculty and staff for at least five years. We are committed to ensuring that the Nysmith School lives up to its pledge to create a warm and nurturing environment for every child.
“We sincerely thank our colleagues at the Brandeis Center, as well as Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares, for their steadfast commitment to addressing antisemitism whenever and wherever it strikes. We also honor the courage and determination of the Vasquez/Roy family and their children for speaking up against the evils of antisemitism. No family should ever encounter such vile hatred, but every family should be inspired by the example they set.
“As antisemitism continues to surge in the United States, we must all do our part to fight back. Every school should offer an environment that is welcoming, inclusive, and free from hate. This agreement provides a roadmap toward the better future that Jewish families need more than ever, and that all of our children deserve.”
7News reached out to Nysmith School Tuesday for comment on the matter, and has not received a response at the time of publication.
