A prestigious private academy in Virginia expelled three Jewish children who faced relentless antisemitic harassment following the October 7, 2023, terror attack on Israel, according to a federal discrimination complaint filed this week. The New York Post reported that the Nysmith School for the Gifted, ranked among the nation's top educational institutions, allegedly celebrated Adolf Hitler as a "strong historical leader" while systematically targeting Jewish students.
The Brandeis Center submitted the complaint on behalf of parents Brian Vazquez and Ashok Roy against the Nysmith School for the Gifted, a K-8 institution located approximately 60 minutes from Washington DC, along with its headmaster, Kenneth Nysmith. The New York Post detailed how the couple's 11-year-old daughter became the target of what the complaint characterizes as a "campaign of ostracizing" orchestrated by influential classmates solely because of her Jewish identity during the 2024-2025 academic year.
Students at the school, displaying what the complaint describes as a fundamental misunderstanding of Middle Eastern conflicts, allegedly tormented the young girl about her uncle's death, telling her they were pleased he "died in the October 7ย attack," according to the filing reported by The New York Post. The child's uncle had actually passed away years before the terror attack, with no connection to the Hamas assault on Israel.
The harassment escalated as classmates mocked the girl for being "Israeli" and labeled Jewish people as "baby killers," boldly declaring that "they deserve to die because of what is happening in Gaza," the complaint stated. Additional students intensified their attacks, insisting that "everyone at the school is against Jews and Israel, which is why they hate you," according to the documentation reviewed by The New York Post.
A particularly disturbing incident involved a middle school social studies assignment that required students to create a child-sized illustration incorporating "six traits of a leader" following their examination of Niccolo Machiavelli's "The Prince," according to correspondence from the Nysmith School cited in The New York Post. The resulting artwork combined weaponry associated with Machiavelli's era and modern business attire, but featured a man's face with Adolf Hitler's distinctive toothbrush mustache and slicked-back hair.
Bombshell lawsuit out of Virginia - plaintiffs allege the Nysmith School for the Gifted & Kenneth Nysmith taught 11 year olds Hitler was a "strong historical leader".
When a Jewish family complained, Nysmith told the kids to "toughen up" and expelled all three kids. pic.twitter.com/4WOfq2rsPz
โ StopAntisemitism (@StopAntisemites) July 1, 2025
ย Vazquez and Roy repeatedly reported these incidents to Nysmith, who assured them he would address the situation, according to the complaint detailed by The New York Post. However, weeks passed without meaningful intervention, and the school's response moved in the opposite direction by canceling its annual Holocaust survivor presentation designed to educate students about antisemitism.
The situation deteriorated further when Vazquez and Roy scheduled a final meeting with Nysmith on March 11 to discuss how the harassment had intensified after the school displayed a Palestinian flag in the gymnasium just days after eliminating the Holocaust education program. The New York Post reported that while the Palestine flag hung alongside dozens of other national flags, including Israel's, the parents expressed concern that some students were using it to reinforce their claims that "nobody likes [Jewish people]."
During this crucial meeting, Nysmith allegedly lost patience and abruptly informed the couple that their daughter should "toughen up," the complaint stated, according to The New York Post. Two days later, the parents received an email from the school announcing their children's immediate expulsion, despite their consistent community involvement and outstanding academic performance.
๐จThis is the email.
Sent by Nysmith School to Jewish parentsโexpelling all three of their kids for speaking out against antisemitism.Their daughter was bullied.
Mocked for being Jewish.
Told her dead uncle "deserved it."
Watched classmates call Hitler a "strong leader."Theโฆ https://t.co/2gd4KPX6Nk pic.twitter.com/sZjohiDsdK
โ Jews Fight Back ๐บ๐ธ๐ฎ๐ฑ (@JewsFightBack) July 2, 2025
"A healthy partnership is required to help guide and nurture young children through tumultuous times and complex current events. I do not see a path forward without trust, understanding, and cooperation. In our meeting, I felt very clearly that you do not think Nysmith is the right school for your family," Nysmith wrote, according to the email reviewed by The New York Post. The expulsion came as a complete surprise to Vazquez and Roy, who had already paid tuition for the following academic year.
Nysmith's correspondence indicated that the family would receive reimbursement for all fees paid for the current and upcoming academic years within two weeks, though it remains unclear whether the check was ever sent. The complaint seeks compensatory damages for various costs, including the children's online coursework, and mandates annual antisemitism training for the entire Nysmith school community.
"Through [the Nysmith School's] actions, the administration sent a clear message: bullying is acceptable, as long as it's against Jewish families. We must all emulate the strength of these parents and their children and stand up to antisemitism and its perpetrators, as difficult as it may be," Kenneth L. Marcus, chairman of the Brandeis Center, wrote in a statement published by The New York Post.
Nysmith rejected the allegations and maintained that the information circulating online is incomplete in an email he forwarded in response to The New York Post's request for comment, in which he also claimed he was "not aware of any legal action involving the school."
