Concord leaders pledge steps after ADL complaint alleging antisemitism in district

Concord and Carlisle elected officials, school leaders and law-enforcement representatives pledged July 22 to take coordinated steps after an Anti-Defamation League complaint filed with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights alleged repeated antisemitic incidents in the Concord-Carlisle public schools.

"No student or family in our community should ever feel unsafe, unheard, or unwelcome," said Andrew Herczyk, chair of the Concord Public Schools committee, reading a joint statement from the school committee chairs. He and other officials described the evening’s meeting as an initial step toward a broader, community-wide response.

The meeting brought together Superintendent Laurie Hunter, Representative Simon Cataldo (co-chair of the Massachusetts Special Commission on Combating Antisemitism), Concord Police Chief Tom Mulcahy, Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan and town staff to explain available legal protections and practical steps. "Kids can't learn unless that's the case," Hunter said, describing the district’s existing partnerships with organizations such as the ADL and the Lappin Foundation and adding, "we know we can do more."

Cataldo summarized the commission's preliminary findings and draft recommendations, saying that his statewide review found that "antisemitism in K–12 settings is pervasive and escalating across the state" and noting gaps in reporting, educator training and Holocaust/genocide instruction. He said the commission’s draft recommends mandatory anti-bias education that explicitly includes antisemitism, clearer reporting mechanisms, and mental-health training for staff to support Jewish students.

Legal limits on disclosure were explained by attorney Paige Tobin, who reviewed the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). "These laws require school districts and their employees to maintain the privacy and security of education records," Tobin said, adding that districts generally may not disclose personally identifiable student information without written consent.

District Attorney Marian Ryan described county-level resources for victims and schools, and urged reporting of incidents so prosecutors and law enforcement can evaluate whether conduct meets the statutory standard for hate crimes. Ryan said her office has pursued roughly 160 prosecutions over the last four years on cases meeting the hate-crime threshold, and described proposals under consideration at the State House to expand accountability and educational remedies for offenders.

Community members at the meeting — including current students, parents and longtime residents — urged greater transparency, clearer incident reporting, use of restorative justice, and firm accountability for both students and staff. Rising senior Wilson Odoman described sustained harassment he said had occurred and urged immediate use of the district’s disciplinary tools. Parent and longtime resident Melinda Kulish said her children often felt excluded by routine school activities that were not sensitive to religious differences.

Officials announced several near-term steps discussed during the meeting: the Select Board will continue its work at its next meeting (scheduled for the following Monday), the district will update and expand public incident reporting and dashboard options, and staff will explore focused listening groups and targeted training for teachers and counselors. DA Ryan pointed to a Middlesex County online reporting form (middlesexda.com) her office uses to gather information from people who may not want to contact police directly.

The meeting closed with the Select Board formally adjourning its portion of the joint session so the School Committee could continue its agenda; both bodies indicated they would return with more-specific plans and timelines.

Votes at a glance: The Select Board moved and seconded a motion to adjourn its portion of the joint meeting; the motion passed and the Select Board left the meeting. The School Committee then resumed and adjourned its meeting later in the evening.