ADL Files Federal Title VI Complaint Over Antisemitism At Colorado School
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) filed a federal Title VI complaint on June 11, 2026, against Boulder Valley School District over antisemitic harassment of a Jewish student at Southern Hills Middle School in Boulder, Colorado.[1]
The complaint cites a December 2025 incident in which a student wrapped a laptop charger around the boy's neck, dragged him backward and used an antisemitic slur, prompting a Boulder Police investigation.[1] The ADL is seeking an apology to the family and districtwide antisemitism training, arguing the district's failures violate Title VI.[1] The group says it documented 167 antisemitic incidents in Colorado during 2025.[1]
Harassment of the student began in fall 2024 during seventh grade and continued through eighth grade.[1] Southern Hills Middle School and Boulder Valley School District each investigated in April 2025 and concluded the student faced a hostile environment.[1] The complaint says the harassment escalated in the 2025-2026 school year with additional assaults and repeated slurs.[1] Other incidents cited include an April 2025 "Jew touch tag" game, repeated comments that "Jews were dirty," and an April 2026 statement that "Hitler should have killed all the Jews when he had the chance." Fox News
School investigators issued a founded bullying determination for the December cord attack, and Boulder police opened an investigation.[1] The ADL also tracked 825 antisemitic incidents at non-Jewish K-12 schools nationwide in 2025 and says the Colorado complaint reflects wider failures to protect Jewish students.[1]
The mainstream summary does not mention the broader context of rising antisemitism in U.S. educational institutions, particularly since the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attacks, which have been identified as a significant inflection point for increased antisemitic incidents. According to a 2025 PubMed study, this surge is linked to heightened anti-Israel activism that has permeated college campuses and trickled down to K-12 environments, creating hostile atmospheres for Jewish students. Additionally, while the summary notes the ADL's documentation of 167 antisemitic incidents in Colorado, it does not address the nationwide context of 825 antisemitic incidents reported at non-Jewish K-12 schools in 2025, reflecting a troubling trend that underscores systemic failures in protecting Jewish students across the country. This broader perspective highlights that the issues faced by the student at Southern Hills Middle School are not isolated but part of a larger pattern of neglect and hostility toward Jewish individuals in educational settings.[2][3]
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📊 Relevant Data
Southern Hills Middle School enrolls between 493 and 559 students in grades 6-8 for the 2025-2026 school year.
SchoolView: School and District Data / US News / GreatSchools — Colorado Department of Education / US News / GreatSchools
ADL tracked 825 antisemitic incidents at non-Jewish K-12 schools nationwide in 2025, nearly unchanged from 860 in 2024.
Audit of Antisemitic Incidents 2025 — Anti-Defamation League
📌 Key Facts
- On June 11, 2026, the ADL filed a Title VI complaint against Boulder Valley School District over antisemitic harassment at Southern Hills Middle School.
- The complaint alleges a December 2025 incident in which a student wrapped a laptop charger around a Jewish student's neck, dragged him backward and called him a slur, prompting a Boulder Police investigation.
- Other cited incidents include an April 2025 "Jew touch tag" game, derogatory comments that Jews were dirty, and an April 2026 statement that "Hitler should have killed all the Jews when he had the chance."
- ADL seeks an apology to the family and implementation of antisemitism training across the district, arguing the district's failures violate Title VI.
- ADL reports documenting 167 antisemitic incidents in Colorado during 2025.
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