Residents deliver accounts of anti‑Semitic harassment at Wayne Hills graduation; board promises policy review

Dozens of residents urged the Wayne Board of Education to take immediate, concrete action after what speakers described as a pattern of anti‑Semitic harassment culminating at Wayne Hills High School's recent graduation.

At the board's July 11 meeting Beverly Margoles, who identified herself as a Wayne resident and a child of Holocaust survivors, said she had “heard some disturbing reports related to the graduation in Wayne Hills” and asked what consequences the district would apply. “Consequences must be applied,” she said, adding that she found students' comments and displays at graduation deeply upsetting.

Other speakers described long‑running harassment. Marina Buckman told the board her daughter had been subjected to repeated anti‑Semitic remarks and, she said, physical attacks over years: “Hitler didn't finish his job,” was among the remarks she quoted as having been told to students, she said, and she criticized administrators for a lack of follow‑up. Rebecca Bradley, a parent, warned that “empty threats are empty” and urged the board to act rather than simply promise enforcement.

Speakers proposed specific steps. Kim Modow asked the district to classify HIB reports by motivation (for example, anti‑Semitic, Islamophobic, racial, or anti‑LGBTQ) so the community can see what types of incidents are occurring and the board can target remedies. She also urged stricter graduation rules — for example, allowing only U.S. flags and removing students who display other banners — and said the district should replace any outside vendor responsible for an offensive yearbook entry if appropriate. Pamela Meik, a substitute teacher, recommended convening a community roundtable of leaders from different groups to foster dialogue and repair trust.

Parents also raised enrollment concerns tied to safety: Aela Davids said she is considering leaving the district because she does not feel comfortable sending her Jewish children to Wayne public schools unless the district can restore a sense of safety.

In reply the superintendent and board members said they are taking the concerns seriously. The administration, the superintendent said, has held “countless meetings” with religious and community leaders over the last two weeks and is reviewing potential policy changes. A board speaker said proposed changes must be cleared by counsel to ensure they are lawful but promised the community would “see some positive changes coming” within about two months.

The board's presentation at the meeting included a brief HIB update: administration reported 13 HIB investigations since the previous report, five of which met the HIB criteria; speakers asked that future reports break incidents down by motivating bias so the public can better understand patterns.

The board did not announce specific disciplinary outcomes for the graduation incident at the meeting. Several public commenters urged clearer, enforceable rules (for example, immediate removal from the ceremony and marking disciplinary records) and better transparency about follow‑up when HIB complaints are reported.

The board closed the public‑comment period after members thanked speakers and reiterated the need for community engagement and lawful, durable policy changes. The board said it will return recommended policy revisions after legal review and said some items (for example, a student avatar/profile issue) would be addressed over the summer.

Next steps: the administration said it will bring proposed policy changes back to the board for consideration after legal review; the board gave no specific timetable for disciplinary findings in the cases discussed at the meeting.