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Arkansas Senate Education Committee rejects bill aimed at addressing antisemitism on campuses
Summary
Senate Bill 352, which would have required schools to treat antisemitic harassment as discrimination and incorporated the IHRA definition, was debated but failed after committee members raised constitutional and parity concerns.
Senate Bill 352, a proposal to require Arkansas schools and higher-education institutions to treat antisemitic harassment and discrimination the same as other protected categories, failed to advance in the Senate Education Committee after debate about its language and constitutional risks.
Sponsor Sen. Matt Stone, R., introduced the measure to the committee and said it was intended to “foster an environment where Jewish students can come and get an education in Arkansas without being subjected to harassment.” He framed the bill around recent incidents and federal statistics: “This past Christmas Eve... protesters simply because they were Jewish people,” Stone said, and he cited a federal increase in investigations after October 7, 2023.
Committee members pressed for changes to the draft,…
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