Colorado Report
ANTISEMITIC BULLYING AT SOUTHERN HILLS MIDDLE SCHOOL IN BOULDER (SHMS)
After 2 years of painful bullying at a Colorado public school, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) filed a federal civil rights complaint with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office against the Boulder Valley School District (BVSD) in Colorado. The complaint alleges that the district violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act by failing to adequately address severe, escalating, and persistent, antisemitic harassment and assault directed at a Jewish middle school student.
The ADL says BVSD never effectively addressed what was going on. "There is no more solemn obligation for school officials than when we drop our children off at school or they take that bus to school and they walk through those doors, that school leaders are responsible for their safety and their well-being," said James Pasch, vice president of litigation with the ADL.
The harassment began at SHMS with antisemitic remarks directed at Student A (real name not released) on the soccer field by classmates. As described further below, it escalated rapidly to include verbal slurs (including repeated use of the word “kike” directed at Student A), threats (including of gun violence), and Nazi salutes in 2024, and progressed to repeated physical assaults (including strangulation), antisemitic taunting in the lunch line, after school and in class (including organization of a game called “Jew touch tag” in PE, in which Jews are chased), and Holocaust-related mockery (including a student telling Student A in math, “at least my grandma didn’t spend 8 years in hiding,” and asking Student A, “do you get scared when someone raises their hand?” and “do you get scared when someone counts to nine?”). On one occasion, a group of students, none of whom Student A believed were Jewish, threw a dollar bill into the air in front of Student A, and when Student A picked it up, one of the students said “well, well, well” while another recorded the interaction on video — conduct invoking the common antisemitic trope associating Jewish people with money and greed.
The most violent incident occurred on December 15, 2025, when a classmate fashioned a Chromebook charging cord into a lasso, threw it around Student A’s neck without warning or provocation, and dragged Student A backward from a chair while calling Student A a “stupid kike” — conduct so severe it resulted in a police report, a formal founded bullying determination by SHMS, and a Juvenile Court Referral for third-degree assault.
The father of the Jewish student had talked with the principal of SHMS many times starting in 2024 and sent written requests to have “eyes on” supervision during class changes, schedule changes to avoid contact with problem students, and pleas for a plan of assistance to protect his son but to no avail.
The father stated: “If you can’t facilitate this then I am going to formally request that the district immediately assist us in a transfer of [Student A] to another BVSD school to make sure [Student A’s] mental wellbeing and academic success are protected. It has become clear that BVSD priorities are geared more to protecting students that can’t seem to follow the rules and conduct required of them over the rights of others.” Principal Murphy’s response was to note the request and commit to doing the school’s “best” to avoid scheduling conflicts, while declining to make any guarantee. She offered that if the family felt they would like an administrative transfer, she could “work through that process.” No transfer was facilitated. No formal scheduling commitment was made or honored. The harassment continued.
The December incident was followed by a February 26, 2026 incident in which a former friend of Student A threatened to bring his father’s gun to school to shoot people and then stated in Student A’s Spanish class that “Hitler should have killed all the Jews when he had the chance”; a March 2026 assault in which a fellow student punched and kicked Student A multiple times; and an April 2026 incident in which a fellow student approached Student A while Student A was playing basketball alone at recess and spat in Student A’s face. During the spring 2026 semester, a swastika was found drawn in marker on the wall of the boys’ bathroom.
Despite all of this, the District failed to put into place systemic changes to address the continued antisemitic harassment Student A has been facing and has consistently placed the burden of avoiding the hostile environment on Student A — not on those responsible for creating it. Student A has been relocated from study hall to the principal’s office, no longer changes in the locker room for gym class out of fear of further harassment, and was forced to miss an off-campus school field trip that the students responsible for targeting Student A attended without restriction. Student A is currently on medication as a direct and documented result of the hostile environment at SHMS. As of the end of April, 2026, Student A's parents were forced to pull him out of school for the reminder of the year based upon concerns for his physical safety and well-being. He no longer wears a Star of David or tells people they are Jewish."No child should
have to hide who they are, and they certainly shouldn't have to hide who they are when they walk through the doors of their school," Pasch said.
As a retired teacher of Denver Public Schools, I have to say that teachers and administrators failed in their responsibilities. There were too many opportunities for a teacher to see the issues in the classroom if they were observant. I understand the difficulties in middle school but teachers must establish order and have strong rules and standards. You must be aware of the conversations and actions. Unfortunately, teachers have become too complacent and have little authority. Administrators fall guilty of not “rocking the boat” but giving in to tears and pleas of students, parents and school board members.
If adherence to rules and authority is not advocated the students run the school. If real life decisions are not discussed and consequences given, students will become more unmanageable and inhumane.
Boulder, the center of higher intellect, has become so liberal minded and Democratically Socialized that they don’t see the problem. The June 2025 fire-bombing of 12 people in Boulder by Mohammed Soliman who wanted to “kill all Zionist people” should unveil the hidden hatred in their city, much of which is taught in their educational system from elementary thru college. True morality, faith and love must be part of the curriculum and determined strength in authority to carryout consequences with divine wisdom to find answers that keep youth from delinquency.
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If you would like to read the full complaint against the Boulder County School District:
THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY IS SUPPORTING A SOCIALIST FOR CONGRESS!
Democrats’ widespread dissatisfaction and anger with their party leadership and a push for generational change in the wake of the party’s loss to President Donald Trump in 2024 have made incumbents in safe blue seats, like DeGette, unexpectedly vulnerable.
Say no to wrong.
Learn to do good.
Work for justice.
Help the down-and-out.
Stand up for the homeless.
Go to bat for the defenseless.
Isaiah 1:17
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