DESE report finds Easthampton Schools properly addressed antisemitic incidents

EASTHAMPTON — A Department of Elementary and Secondary Education investigation found that Easthampton Public Schools took prompt and appropriate actions to address antisemitic incidents that occurred during the 2024-25 school year.

Following a complaint put forth by former Easthampton City Councilor Owen Zaret that the school district did not properly address several incidents of antisemitism in the schools during the 2024-25 school year, DESE did, in fact, find that the district responded promptly to the incidents and therefore did not violate the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

On Aug. 5, 2025, Zaret filed a state complaint with DESE’s Problem Resolution System Office, or PRS, against the Easthampton school district. In Zaret’s statement of concern submitted with the PRS complaint, he alleged that “the school district fostered a harmful and hostile environment towards Jewish residents and the students through refusal to evaluate resources to address growing threats of antisemitism in schools.”

Zaret also added in the complaint that the district “minimized, dismissed or concealed” incidents of antisemitism, which included, but were not limited to, those incidents described in the allegation.

The report acknowledges these antisemitic incidents happened, including the sketching of swastikas on desks and racial slurs in a notebook at Easthampton High School, but found that the administration and the district addressed the situations properly.

“The record also indicates that the district took additional steps to address Complainant’s [Zaret’s] concerns, among them: meeting with the Complainant, notifying law enforcement of the reported conduct, developing anti-bias curriculum with the input of school staff, students, and parents/caregivers, applying for education grants to be used in the development of curriculum to address genocide, including studies of the Holocaust, and partnering with local community education centers on curriculum development,” the DESE report states.

In response to the reported concerns received in December 2024 regarding images of swastikas engraved on high school property, the report states that high school administration shared information with students about the incidents and provided “short-term” information about how students could navigate responses to hate speech, including reporting their concerns to district staff.

The administration also discussed the investigation reports with the superintendent and the district’s diversity coordinator. The report states that the principal sent two communications to the school community notifying them of the graffiti incidents, the district’s path of investigation, and the planned long-term approach to addressing the presence of hate speech in the high school and other district schools.

In response to the report, Zaret said he believes that despite the state’s ruling, DESE failed to evaluate the professional conduct of local officials, including their efforts to discourage advocacy and limit testimony.

He added that several points in the report required additional context.

“The district did not comply with state instructions to provide its local response within the designated window for review and comment, limiting the opportunity to address discrepancies during the investigation,” Zaret said. “The police report filed by the principal also described the graffiti only in vague terms and does not clearly identify its antisemitic nature. Access to school administration was significantly restricted, and inquiries about incidents as they occurred were often dismissed or ignored.”

When contacted for comment on the report, Easthampton Mayor Salem Derby said its findings clearly state the district complied in responding to these antisemitic incidents.

“The school district not only responded in the most appropriate way, but went above and beyond, securing grant funding to create a Holocaust curriculum and to address antisemitism directly,” said Derby. “I think that piece can’t be stated enough.”

Derby said that, as a Jewish person himself, he felt the accusations of negligence around the incidents and response to them were not fair. He added that he has initiated conversations with the Jewish Federation of Western Massachusetts to see what things the city can do together to acknowledge the fact that antisemitism is on the rise.

When asked about whether he’ll consider further action following the release of the report, Zaret said that transparency and accountability are what’s most important.

“The city and the school district have been asked to issue a clear public statement that acknowledges the incidents identified in the report, names antisemitism directly, and outlines concrete steps to support Jewish students and families and prevent similar incidents going forward,” he said.

When reached for comment, Superintendent Michelle Balch echoed Derby’s sentiments about the report. She added that while the district was found to be fully compliant through the investigation, compliance alone was not the goal.

“Any instance of antisemitism or hate speech is taken very seriously. We recognize that our work is ongoing, and we remain committed to strengthening our systems, updating curriculum and resources, and taking proactive steps to ensure that every student and family feels supported and that they belong,” said Balch.

Balch added she is currently working with the district’s Equity Committee, which is composed of parents, community members and staff, to develop a Bias Response Toolkit. The district has also recently developed a crosswalk aligning the Massachusetts DESE Draft Rubric for Antisemitism and Societal Bias Prevention with recommendations from the Massachusetts Special Commission on Combating Antisemitism, which highlights the work currently underway in the district.

“We are proud of this work and believe it will provide clear guidance on how and when we respond, as well as how we support students and

families,” she said.
Balch and Derby were not in their respective positions when the alleged antisemitic incidents occurred. To review the report, visit https://drive.google.com/file/d/1aWqegHQO4Gk68K8-G3d_MpoKsSgXI9Vd/view?usp=sharing.