Arizona’s governor, Katie Hobbs, has vetoed a bill that would have banned the teaching of antisemitic material in the state’s public schools, community colleges and universities.
House Bill 2867, sponsored by Republican representative Michael Way, cleared the legislature last week by a margin of 33-20 with the backing of several Democrats.
If implemented, it would have banned the teaching or promotion of antisemitism in public school, requiring students to advocate for antisemitic positions and make it a specific offence for teachers to provide antisemitic professional guidance or call for the genocide of any group.
The bill was based on the IHRA definition of antisemitism, which critics – including some Jewish organisations in the state – claimed could compromise teachers’ ability to provide comprehensive Holocaust education and could stifle legitimate criticism of Israel and discussion of Middle Eastern affairs.
In particular, some pointed to the clause in the definition which labels the claim “that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavour” as an example of Jew-hate.
However, it was the bill’s provision for teachers to be made personally liable to lawsuits against them if they violated the regulations that prompted Hobbs to strike it down at the final hurdle.
The bill would have allowed complainants to sue teachers directly, rather than school districts, and compel the individual educators to cover the costs of the case.
In a letter explaining her veto, Hobbs wrote: “Unfortunately this bill is not about antisemitism; it’s about attacking our teachers.
"It puts an unacceptable level of personal liability in place for our public school, community college, and university educators and staff, opening them up to threats of personally costly lawsuits.”
The governor pointed to other measures her office had implemented to combat antisemitism, including expanding Holocaust education requirements in schools and appropriating funding for a Holocaust education centre in the state capital of Phoenix, saying it “was a powerful reminder that the most effective way to combat antisemitism is through education, empathy, and community”.
Hobbs’ letter also included a message from Lori Shepherd, executive director of the Tucson Jewish Museum and Holocaust Centre, who said the bill was “not the answer” to the issues faced by the state’s Jewish community.
"While I support the need to fight hate and antisemitism, the bill’s vague language and punitive approach send a dangerous message to teachers: avoid controversy, or face a courtroom,” she added.
