Virginia School Expels Jewish Siblings Amid Antisemitic Harassment Claims

RESTON, Virginia — A private school in Northern Virginia, acclaimed for its educational excellence, has allegedly expelled three Jewish siblings after they faced severe antisemitic harassment. The complaints follow a series of troubling incidents that erupted after the October 7, 2023, terror attack on Israel.

The Brandeis Center has filed a complaint on behalf of the siblings’ parents, Brian Vazquez and Ashok Roy, against the Nysmith School for the Gifted. The K-8 academy, located just an hour from Washington, D.C., is helmed by headmaster Kenneth Nysmith. The complaint details a pattern of bullying directed at the family’s 11-year-old daughter, which the parents describe as a ‘campaign of ostracizing’ led by a group of popular students.

According to the filing, classmates cruelly taunted the girl regarding her Jewish background and even celebrated her uncle’s unrelated death years prior. ‘They were glad he died in the October 7th attack,’ the complaint states. Some students added fuel to the fire by calling her ‘Israeli’ and labeling Jews as ‘baby killers,’ while insisting that ‘they deserve to die because of what is happening in Gaza.’

The harassment was compounded by a controversial school project, where students created drawings depicting Adolf Hitler as a strong leader. The project, an item in their curriculum on Niccolò Machiavelli’s ‘The Prince,’ displayed a combination of weaponry and a representation of Hitler, which further perplexed and distressed the family.

Vazquez and Roy reported these incidents to school officials, who initially promised to address the behavior. However, weeks passed without any changes. The situation escalated when the school canceled an upcoming talk by a Holocaust survivor, further alarming the family. During a meeting on March 11, Nysmith allegedly told them their daughter should ‘toughen up’ in response to their concerns.

Days later, the family received an email from the school announcing the expulsion of their children, effective immediately, despite their strong academic record and involvement in the community. They had not anticipated this decision, particularly after paying tuition for the following year.

In the email, Nysmith stated a lack of trust and cooperation had made it ‘clear’ that the school might not be the right fit for the family. The complaint requests compensatory damages to cover online courses for the children and other related costs, while also pushing for annual antisemitism training for all Nysmith students and staff.

Nysmith has since rejected the allegations made against the institution and claimed that the information circulating online is incomplete. He has also stated he is ‘not aware of any legal action’ involving the school, according to an email response.