CA Educators Urge Newsom to Veto What They Call “Classroom Censorship Bill”

A controversial California bill that would appoint an “Antisemitism Coordinator” is heading to Governor Gavin Newsom’s desk.

Teachers’ unions and civil rights groups warn that the legislation, which is purported to combat antisemitism, will stifle criticisms of Israel and its genocidal assault on Gaza.

AB 715 was introduced by Assembly members Rick Chavez Zbur (D-Hollywood) and Dawn Addis (D-Morro Bay). The legislation would require lawmakers to appoint an “Antisemitism Coordinator” for the state. That coordinator would be able to review the curriculum, and threaten schools with fines and dismissals for refusing to remove material deemed “factually inaccurate.”

The bill would also allow Israel supporters to file unsupported complaints of antisemitism with the California Department of Education.

The bill was recently passed in both chambers, but the process was fast-tracked, as there were only three days left in the legislative session. Multiple lawmakers said they weren’t given adequate time to assess it.

The Assembly Education Committee’s hearing on AB 715 was only informational. A last-minute waiver enabled the legislation to proceed without committee approval.

“We’ve been robbed of the opportunity to demonstrate that people can trust us in this process,” said Assembly member Mia Bonta, who sits on the Education Committee.

Education advocates warn that, if signed into law, the bill would have a chilling impact on classrooms throughout the state. It’s opposed by including the California Teachers Association, the California Faculty Association, the Association of California School Administrators and California County Superintendents, the California School Boards Association, and the Council of UC Faculty Associations.

“It is very disappointing that our CA legislators are ignoring objections to this bill from every major teachers union, from every educational association and significant concerns of constitutionality from the ACLU to ramrod through this terrible bill at the very end of the legislative session without full opportunity for public input and without meaningful dialogue with Palestinians,” Jewish Voice for Peace Action national board member Seth Morrison told Mondoweiss.

“It is beyond shameful that California lawmakers are fast tracking a bill that mirrors Trump’s right-wing playbook of silencing Palestinians, all while this government is enabling Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza,” said AROC Action Executive Director Lara Kiswani.

An earlier version of the bill identified examples where criticism of Israel crosses into antisemitism. These included “equating Jews or Israelis with Nazis or Nazi Germany” and “language or images directly or indirectly denying the right of Israel to exist.”

In response to the backlash, the examples were removed. “We have compromised on numerous things with our colleagues who expressed concerns,” Assembly member Addis told the Jewish News of Northern California.

However, the lawmakers included information on anti-Israeli discrimination, which the aforementioned coordinator would have to take into consideration when reviewing teaching materials.

The bill’s passage was celebrated by JPAC, Legislative Jewish Caucus, the ADL, and other pro-Israel organizations that helped lobby for it.

JPAC Executive Director David Bocarsly said it represented a “historic stand against antisemitism in our schools.”

“For far too long, Jewish students have endured slurs, bullying, and open hostility in their classrooms with nowhere to turn,” claimed Bocarsly. “AB 715 is a promise to those students — and to all children in California — that they are not invisible, that their safety and dignity matter, and that our state will not stand idly by in the face of hate. This bill is about more than policy. It’s about protecting children, defending civil rights, and ensuring every student can walk into school proud of who they are.”

Organizers, educators, and activists are calling on Governor Newsom to veto the “Classroom Censorship Bill.”

“This is now Governor Newsom’s test. He can either side with educators, civil rights advocates, and students whose voices are at risk of being silenced — or he can greenlight censorship that will make classrooms less free and less inclusive,” said CAIR-CA CEO Hussam Ayloush said in a statement.

“California has some of the strongest civil rights protections in the country,” he continued. “Real harassment and discrimination must always be addressed — but this bill is not the way. Governor Newsom should reject this flawed measure and stand with educators and students who deserve classrooms where truth and justice are not censored.”