The US Department of Education has opened an investigation into two Long Island school districts for alleged “common ancestry” discrimination, a violation of Title 6 of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the department confirmed Wednesday.
The school districts under investigation are Commack High School and the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School system, according to information from the department's Civil Rights Office.
In the Commack district, the investigation focused on complaints of anti-Semitic and anti-Black graffiti at schools. Information about what sparked the Belmore-Merrick investigation was not immediately available.
The two island school districts are on a list of more than 150 elementary, middle and high schools nationwide currently “under investigation for discrimination related to common ancestry,” according to the Office for Civil Rights.
What you need to know
- The U.S. Department of Education has launched an investigation It was split between two Long Island school districts, Commack and Bellmore-Merrick Central High School System.
- Authorities are investigating the area. The department confirmed Wednesday that it had filed a lawsuit against the agency for alleged discrimination related to “common ancestry,” in violation of Title 6 of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.
- In the Commack District investigation, Complaints about anti-Semitic and anti-Black graffiti at the school. Information about what prompted Belmore Merrick's investigation was not immediately available.
“Appearance on the list does not mean that OCR has made a decision on the case,” the office said on its website.
The department explained its reasons for creating the list in November, saying the Biden administration “continues its efforts to take aggressive steps to address the alarming increase in reports of anti-Semitic, anti-Muslim, anti-Arab and other discrimination and harassment across the country on college campuses and in primary and secondary schools since the clashes between Israel and Hamas on October 7.”
The Commack investigation began June 17, and the Bellmore-Merrick investigation began Monday. The Bellmore-Merrick district was not aware of any complaints, a spokesman said.
The agency will explain the details of your complaint
In the Komack case, the Department of Education posted on its website the complaints it had received, as well as letters to school districts detailing which complaints it was investigating and the procedures it would follow.
“The department will not comment further on ongoing investigations,” a department spokesperson said after providing a list of facilities the department is investigating and a link to the “libraries page” where the Commack district complaint is posted.
Commack's complaint, filed with the Department of Education on March 12, noted “anti-Semitic and anti-Black graffiti” in Commack High School restrooms.
“This reprehensible hate speech and discriminatory act has understandably caused great distress and concern among students, parents and faculty and staff,” said the letter's writer, whose identity was withheld by the ministry.
The letter continues: “While we appreciate that a police investigation is underway to identify the perpetrators, we are concerned that school authorities have not taken proactive steps to address the underlying issues and ensure appropriate action is taken going forward.”
The author also alleged that there was “no mention” of holding educational sessions or dialogue with students or outlining measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.
The Department of Education wrote Commack School District Superintendent Jordan Cox on June 17 to notify the district that a complaint had been filed and an investigation had been launched. The letter stated that the graffiti was discovered in the “boys' restroom” in November 2023. The graffiti incident was widely reported at the time.
The department said the district has 20 days to respond.
Reactions from school officials
Commack School officials responded to Newsday in a statement Wednesday:
“The Commack School District is aware of the U.S. Department of Education's investigation into alleged Title VI violations. We responded promptly to the Office for Civil Rights' initial contact and provided a comprehensive summary of the incident and the district's subsequent actions.”
“This complaint, originally filed in March 2024, concerns an incident in early November 2023 where graffiti was discovered in a Commack High School restroom. Since providing the requested information, we have not received a response from OCR. We have cooperated fully with the investigation and will continue to do so.”
Commack High School officials added that the school has “many ongoing programs and initiatives that recognize the importance of teaching tolerance, respect, kindness and empathy in our community.”
School officials said they partner with the Shoah Foundation, the Holocaust Museum and the Suffolk YJCC to allow students to hear stories from Holocaust survivors, adding that the district's students are “the driving force behind our mission to promote a district-wide commitment to multiculturalism and inclusivity.”
The district also forwarded a letter that Superintendent Cox sent to district families after two swastikas were found in a bathroom stall last year. The letter made no mention of the racist graffiti. The district told Newsday in November 2023 that the racist graffiti was discovered after the letter was sent.
“Following the November 2023 incident, we felt additional measures were necessary. We partnered with the Suffolk County Hate Crimes Unit to provide a school-wide presentation highlighting the dangers and consequences of hateful conduct. We also implemented a sign-in system in restrooms to increase monitoring,” the district said in a statement to Newsday.
Rabbi Mendel Toubia of Chabad of Mid-Suffolk in Commack said Jews are generally accepted in the community.
“Jewish life in Commack is beautiful,” he said.
Still, he said, sporadic anti-Semitic incidents occur in Commack, as elsewhere, and society needs to do more to teach young people to fight prejudice.
Bert Jones