HERNDON, VIRGINIA – The complaint, submitted by the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law and Dillon PLLC, accuses the private K-8 school of failing to protect the students and retaliating against the family for raising concerns. The Virginia Attorney Generalโs Office of Civil Rights is reviewing the case.
According to the complaint, the family’s 11-year-old daughter endured months of antisemitic bullying. Classmates allegedly called her a “baby killer” and said she “deserved to die because of what is happening in Gaza.” The harassment intensified after the school displayed a Palestinian flag in its gym and canceled an annual Holocaust survivor event, citing concerns over tensions related to the Israel-Hamas conflict.
The complaint further states that students placed pro-Palestine stickers on school-issued laptops and lockers, and taunted Jewish children for being “Israeli.” In one incident, a classroom project depicted Adolf Hitler as a “strong historical leader.” The school reportedly distributed a photo of this project to the entire community.
When parents Brian Vazquez and Ashok Roy reported the incidents to Headmaster Kenneth R. Nysmith, they were told their daughter should “toughen up,” according to the complaint. Two days later, all three of their children were expelled by email, just before mid-semester grades and after local schools’ application deadlines had passed. The family asserts that their children had no academic or disciplinary issues.
Kenneth Marcus, chairman of the Brandeis Center, condemned the school’s actions, stating, “The message sent to the school community is that bullying is acceptable, as long as itโs against Jewish families.”
The Nysmith School has not publicly responded to the allegations.
This article is based on verified information from civil rights filings and statements by the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law.