A bill adopting the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism and a reporting system for schools was signed by Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe on Thursday.
The bill, which was passed by the Missouri House of Representatives on April 9, defined antisemitism as “a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews,” and “rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.”
In line with IHRA’s guiding examples that included justifying the killing of Jews or denying the Jewish people the right to self-determination, the bill emphasized that criticism of Israel, similar to that expressed toward any other country, should not be construed as antisemitic. The law also stipulated that nothing should be done to infringe upon or diminish the First Amendment.
With Kehoe’s signature, the state’s public schools and school districts would treat harassment and discrimination motivated by antisemitism in a manner identical to discrimination motivated by race and integrate the definition into their codes of conduct.
Schools and districts will report incidents to Title VI civil rights coordinators, who will investigate claims of antisemitism and racism.
'Antisemitism has no place in Missouri'
“Antisemitism has no place in Missouri, especially in our classrooms,” Kehoe said in a statement. “By signing this bill, we are standing up for safety, dignity, and the fundamental right of every student to learn free from hate.”
Representative George Hruza, who sponsored the bill alongside Senator Curtis Trent, said on Instagram on Saturday that the legislation would come into effect in August to give schools time to update their policies. “Our Jewish students should feel a bit safer at school from antisemitic harassment and intimidation,” said Hruza. “They can rest assured that we have their back.”
Agudath Israel of America welcomed the signing of the law in a Friday statement and expressed gratitude to Kehoe, Hruza, and Curtis for their work.
“As antisemitic incidents have increased at an alarming rate in recent years, the importance of providing protections against harassment and discrimination of students cannot be overstated,” Agudath Israel of Missouri government affairs director Suri Botuck said. “This legislation lets the Jewish community in Missouri know that their state stands firmly behind them.”
Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt said on X/Twitter on Friday that the law strengthened protections against antisemitism in public schools and colleges. He also praised lawmakers and added that the law was also passed in part due to “sustained advocacy.”