Federal court dismisses challenge to AB 715, which guards against antisemitism in California schools

By David Bocarsly in Sacramento, California

A federal judge dismissed, with prejudice, a lawsuit challenging Assembly Bill 715, California’s first-in-the-nation law establishing a statewide Antisemitism Prevention Coordinator in public schools. The ruling, issued July 28 by Judge Noël Wise of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, rejects every claim brought against the law and closes the case entirely.

AB 715, signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom in October 2025, directs the California Department of Education to establish an Office of Civil Rights and appoint an Antisemitism Prevention Coordinator to address the rise in antisemitic discrimination, harassment, and bullying facing Jewish students statewide.

The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), along with a group of teachers and students, filed suit last year seeking to block the law’s enforcement, arguing its provisions were unconstitutionally vague and discriminatory. Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond and Government Operations Agency Secretary Nick Maduros, the named defendants, were represented by the Attorney General’s office throughout the litigation.

Jewish California secured pro bono counsel from Willkie Farr & Gallagher, led by former U.S. Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, Alex Weingarten, and Matthew Gurvitz, who filed an amicus brief on behalf of Jewish California and 31 Jewish organizations across California in support of the state’s defense.

The Court had already denied the plaintiffs’ request for a preliminary injunction in December, finding their claims premature and unlikely to succeed. Plaintiffs briefly appealed that ruling to the Ninth Circuit before voluntarily withdrawing the appeal and amending their complaint at the district court instead. Today’s ruling goes further, dismissing the amended complaint’s claims in full, including a new equal protection challenge, on the merits and with prejudice – meaning plaintiffs cannot refile.

Antisemitic incidents in California’s K-12 schools have increased 623% over the last decade, according to the ADL. The California Department of Justice reports that anti-Jewish hate crimes statewide have more than tripled in that time, including a 64% increase in the last two years alone.

This ruling affirms what we’ve said from the start: AB 715 is a critical and constitutionally-sound tool to address antisemitism in schools, alongside protections the Legislature has extended to other forms of discrimination through companion legislation. We’re grateful to the Attorney General’s office and our pro bono partners at Willkie Farr & Gallagher for their steadfast defense of this law.”

Jewish California will continue monitoring the case for any appeal to the Ninth Circuit and remains committed to supporting full implementation of AB 715 across California’s public schools.

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David Bocarsly is the CEO of Jewish California.