California law to protect Jewish students faces challenge over free speech concerns

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The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee is challenging a new California law designed to protect Jewish students from discrimination, but that plaintiff teachers and students say is unconstitutionally vague and violates their free speech rights.

The federal complaint, filed Sunday in San Jose, seeks to invalidate legislation Gov. Gavin Newsom signed last month, creating an Office of Civil Rights to help schools identify and prevent antisemitism. State lawmakers approved the legislation as political tensions have flared in the U.S. over Israel’s war in Gaza.

The new law, which takes effect Jan. 1, does not define antisemitism but gives educators the impression that they could be charged with discrimination “if they expose their students to ideas, information, and instructional materials that may be considered critical of the State of Israel and the philosophy of Zionism,” according to the complaint.

Read more at ABC News.

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