CA AB 715: Governor Newsom Signs Antisemitism “Civil Rights” Bill That Protects Absolutely No One

PEER K12
Oct 9
5 min read

Updated: Oct 11

Lawmakers strip enforcement powers, antisemitism definition, and accountability from AB 715 - leaving Jewish students defenseless while advancing Ethnic Studies.

What began as a promising civil-rights bill to protect Jewish and Israeli-American students in California’s public schools has been gutted beyond recognition. Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 715, but not before lawmakers systematically removed every safeguard that once made the legislation meaningful.

The result? A powerless “Office of Civil Rights and Antisemitism Prevention Coordinator” who cannot investigate, cannot enforce, and cannot act - only “advise.”

What Happened to CA AB 715?

In a late-summer committee room, AB 715 was gutted like a political sacrifice.

The legal definition of antisemitism? Deleted.
The power to investigate or enforce? Stripped.
The Office of Civil Rights Coordinator? Reduced to a powerless “technical assistant.”

Does AB 715 Provide Any New Protections?

Not really. The bill mostly focuses on the creation of a state-level antisemitism coordinator to serve as a resource provider (with no investigative or oversight powers).

Other than that, there are only two real new items that do not already exist. One requires that each local school district must create a page on their website to outline the resources available on antisemitism and provide annual notification to parents about these resources:

"The bill would require the Superintendent, in consultation with the executive director of the state board and the Antisemitism Prevention Coordinator, to develop and maintain a distinct internet web page containing resources and information specific to antisemitism on its internet website.; and

"(e) Information regarding the requirements of this section shall be included in the annual notification distributed to pupils, parents and guardians, employees, and other interested parties pursuant to Section 4622 of Title 5 of the California Code of Regulations or any successor regulation."

And the second change from what is currently already available is a modification to the existing complaint process that removes the need for a name to be associated with complaints:

"A complaint may be filed by any member of the public, including anyone electing to file anonymously, if the complaint provides evidence or information leading to evidence to support an allegation of noncompliance with subdivision."

Listed to Our Breakdown on the Israeli-American Podcast: California's Antisemitism Bill Explained with ICANaction & PeerK12

PeerK12's Nicole Bernstein joined ICAN's Dillon Hosier for a breakdown of AB 715 in this podcast episode from October 8, 2025.

The discussion starts with the breaking news of the day - Trump's Gaza Plan accepted and the hostages are set to be released!

Then we dive into AB 715 to discuss what that bill means for Jewish and Israeli-American students, how AB 715 was positioned as legislative cover for advancing the Ethnic Studies mandate, and why both ICAN and PeerK12 are urging Californians to stay engaged ahead of the 2026 legislative session.

How AB 715 Was Dismantled

During the September 10 Senate Education Committee hearing, lawmakers detailed the drastic changes made to AB 715 and explained their reasoning. As each speaker gave their comments, it became clear that this bill had been tokenized and was being used as a thinly veiled legislative cover to advance the Ethnic Studies mandate rather than as a genuine civil rights tool to protect Jewish and Israeli-American students.

Chair Senator Sasha Renee Perez spelled it out on the record:

“The bill does not directly define antisemitism... it no longer includes provisions specific to an antisemitic learning environment.”

And:

“The Office of Civil Rights and Antisemitism Prevention Coordinator... will not be doing investigations.”

Meanwhile, real cases will keep getting lost in the same broken Uniform Complaint Process - a bureaucratic graveyard already notorious for delays and inaction.

Perez went further, editorializing mid-hearing that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is a “war criminal” and calling Israel’s self-defense in Gaza “criminal.”

Why do we believe this is all about ethnic studies?

Because they told us themselves.

During that same late night September 10 Senate Education Committee hearing, other lawmakers finally allowed themselves to say the quiet part out loud. Senator Lena Gonzalez - chair of the Diversity Caucus - announced:

The diversity caucuses want Ethnic Studies. We absolutely believe in Ethnic Studies. We want Ethnic Studies to move forward.”

Translation: AB 715 isn’t a shield for Jewish or Israeli-American students. It’s camouflage - designed to make opposition to Ethnic Studies look unreasonable, while ensuring the state’s new graduation mandate (AB 101) faces no serious resistance when it is brought back into the Legislature for discussion in 2026.

Governor Newsom signs away real civil rights protections

Governor Newsom's signing statement promises "follow-up" legislation in 2026 to address concerns about requirements like factual accuracy in instruction.

We fully anticipate that an additional "follow-up" will surface when the Diversity Caucuses cash in their IOU's and demand that the elusive Ethnic Studies funding debate will once against take center stage.

The message to Jewish families was unmistakable: this law isn’t about protecting you. It’s about protecting their politics.

PeerK12's response

We thank the authors for starting the conversation and their valiant efforts to stay the course; but let’s be clear: this bill was hijacked and gutted - what's left is a whole lot of nothing.

What could have been California’s first meaningful protection against antisemitism in classrooms was instead rewritten to serve as a political shield for the state’s Ethnic Studies establishment.

AB 715 is not enforcement. It’s performance. A decoy meant to neutralize public outrage while allowing the ideological status quo to advance unchallenged.

This is what we're up against:

California Senator Sasha Renee Perez on AB 715; Friday September 12, 2025 full statement about (or rather, explanation of) this antisemitism bill - specifically what it IS - and what it is NOT.

What comes next?

Governor Newsom’s promise of a 2026 “fix” means this fight is far from over. We'll be watching to ensure next year’s legislation delivers real protections: