Bergen Teacher Files Suit After Swastika Etched Into Blackboard

A teacher is suing a Catholic high school for alleged religious discrimination after he says the school fired him following complaints about anti-Semitism in the classroom.

Jacob Rabinowtiz said in his federal lawsuit against St. Joseph's Regional High School filed Nov. 28 that that he faced multiple instances of anti-Semisitm, including swastikas in his classroom, references to "Schindler's List," and having coins thrown at him."

The alleged anti-Semitism started on Rabinowtiz's first day, when he saw a swastika on his blackboard. The pre-calculus teacher said in his lawsuit that the swastika was "unmistakable and could not have gone unnoticed" by administrators or the two other teachers he shared the classroom with.

Students' desks often had "swastikas and other anti-Jewish language" on them. One student wrote "sechs millionen waren nur der anfang," which translates to "six million was just the beginning," according to the complaint.

Another student announced to the class that his favorite scene in "Schindler's List" was a "particularly gruesome murder of a Jewish woman" the student then acted out the murder in class, Rabinowitz said in his complaint.

Jim Goodness, a spokesman for the Archdiocese of Newark, which oversees the school, said they generally do not discuss litigation or personnel issues. However, he said that St. Joseph's was not made aware of Rabinowtiz's complaint until after he received his "less-than-satisfactory" evaluation in the spring.

Principal Michael Bruno said in a March 26 letter to Rabinowitz that "in no uncertain terms that the anti-Semitic and other discriminatory behavior was" his fault.

Bruno also claims in his letter that parents and students complained about Rabinowitz and his classroom environment, the complaint states.

The school told Rabinowtiz March 29 that he would not be brought back to teach in September. The swastika was not removed until April 23.

Rabinowtiz alleges in his three-count complaint: Religious discrimination, unlawful retaliation, and being subjected to a hostile work environment.

Rabinowtiz wants compensatory and punitive damages, along with damages for emotional distress, compensation for attorneys' fees, and "other relief as the court deems equitable and just."

Rabinowtiz brought a complaint to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission earlier this year, and the commission advised him that it could not find any statues had been violated, Goodness said.

Email: daniel.hubbard@patch.com

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