Virginia Private School Expels Jewish Students Over Alleged Hitler Praise and Bullying Complaint
Private School Accused of Expelling Jewish Siblings Amid Antisemitic Harassment
A private school in Northern Virginia is under investigation after allegedly expelling three Jewish siblings who faced ongoing antisemitic bullying following the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel. The incident coincided with the school’s community displaying support for Hitler as a “strong historical leader.”
The Brandeis Center filed a complaint on behalf of the children’s parents, Brian Vazquez and Ashok Roy, against Nysmith School for the Gifted, a K-8 institution near Washington, D.C., and its headmaster, Kenneth Nysmith. The complaint claims that the 11-year-old girl experienced a targeted campaign of social ostracism from popular students, solely based on her Jewish identity during the 2024-2025 school year.
According to the complaint, students cruelly taunted her about her uncle’s death, which occurred years prior and was unrelated to the conflict. The children also mocked her for being “Israeli,” calling Jews “baby killers,” and expressed that “they deserve to die because of Gaza.” Some students claimed that everyone at the school hated Jews and Israel, blaming her for that perceived animosity.
As part of a middle school project on leadership inspired by Niccolo Machiavelli’s “The Prince,” students created a drawing portraying a figure with Adolf Hitler’s facial features, including a toothbrush mustache and slicked-back hair, among weapons and symbols associated with historical rulers. The project, in which Hitler was depicted as a “strong leader,” exemplified the troubling environment.
Parents reported these incidents to school authorities, who promised action, but little changed. Instead, the school canceled its annual Holocaust survivor talk—a program meant to promote understanding about antisemitism—and the harassment continued. In a meeting after the school displayed a Palestinian flag alongside an Israeli flag, the headmaster told the parents their daughter needed to “toughen up,” dismissing concerns about rising antisemitic sentiment.
Shortly afterward, the parents received an email informing them of their children’s immediate expulsion despite their positive conduct and paying tuition for the upcoming year. The school’s letter suggested that the family no longer fit the school’s vision, and promised a refund of paid fees, though it remains unclear whether the refund was issued.
Brandeis Center’s chairman criticized the school’s actions, emphasizing that bullying targeting Jewish students is unacceptable and calling for collective action against antisemitism. The complaint seeks damages related to the children’s educational expenses and mandates anti-hate training for the school community.
Nysmith School denied the allegations, stating that the information being circulated is incomplete and asserting they are unaware of any legal proceedings.