A federal probe has been launched into possible incidents of bias and discrimination in the South Orange-Maplewood School District.
The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights launched an investigation last week, according to NJ Advance Media, which first reported the story. The cause has not been disclosed, but similar federal probes of other districts have examined alleged incidents of antisemitism or Islamophobia.
News of the investigation comes roughly a week after the district drew criticism for sending out a document about Ramadan that some said was inflammatory and contained antisemitic language. The school system has had other recent incidents of alleged bias as well. The principal of Columbia High School was charged earlier this month on charges of endangering the welfare of a child, and in December, police investigated antisemitic threats written on a girl’s bathroom stall.
Similar federal discrimination probes have recently been launched in Rutgers Newark, Newark Public Schools and Teaneck Public Schools.
