President Donald Trump is taking bold action to combat the surge of antisemitism sweeping American schools and college campuses. His January 29 executive order directs the Department of Justice to crack down on the wave of Jew-hatred that exploded after Hamas’ October 7, 2023, terrorist attack on Israel.
Leading the charge is Leo Terrell, senior counsel to the assistant attorney general for civil rights, who has been tasked with heading the new DOJ Task Force to Combat Antisemitism. Terrell made it clear that the administration will use every legal tool available to stop this dangerous trend, which has increasingly targeted Jewish students, teachers, and citizens with intimidation, harassment, and outright discrimination.
While Trump takes action, New York City schools are spiraling out of control, with students and teachers openly engaging in antisemitic behavior. The New York Public Schools Alliance, a group of concerned educators, parents, and students, has released a bombshell report exposing systemic anti-Jewish and anti-Israel bias within the city’s schools.
One of the worst offenders? Susan E. Wagner High School in Staten Island, where students were taunted with slurs like “stinky Jews” and shouted down with “Free Palestine” chants during a recent International Festival. Even worse, school officials reportedly apologized to the offenders while escorting them out of the event.
According to a student at Wagner High, the school’s faculty openly wears pro-Palestinian paraphernalia, and administrators have hosted one-sided presentations portraying Israel as the villain. Jewish students say they feel isolated, intimidated, and completely abandoned by the school’s leadership.
Councilman David Carr condemned the situation, calling antisemitism “the most pernicious form of hate” and vowing to work with school officials to restore order and safety. But many Jewish students and parents have lost faith that local leaders will take real action.
The New York City Department of Education (NYCPS) is in full-blown damage control mode, claiming that bias incidents are down by 46% while refusing to answer why multiple documented antisemitic incidents were never logged as hate crimes. The NYCPS Alliance blasted these claims, exposing how schools manipulate reports to downplay antisemitic incidents.
Despite this, Mayor Eric Adams and NYC school officials have refused to comment—a telling sign that they’re more interested in covering up antisemitism than confronting it.
Thankfully, Trump’s DOJ isn’t waiting for New York’s leadership to get its act together. Terrell has announced a direct complaint hotline for Jewish students and teachers facing discrimination, ensuring that help is on the way.
Trump’s executive order isn’t just another bureaucratic move—it’s a declaration of war against the antisemitic rot festering in American institutions. The DOJ is mobilizing, and Jewish students no longer have to suffer in silence.
