On Tuesday, East Brunswick Superintendent Victor Valeski was informed that the photos and names of all Jewish student body members were removed from this year's East Brunswick High School yearbook and replaced with non-Jewish students. East Brunswick Mayor Brad Cohen called it a “blatant act of anti-Semitism” and called for an investigation.
This was first reported on My Central Jersey.
“First and foremost, I personally, along with the entire East Brunswick Board of Education, sincerely apologize for the hurt, pain, and distress this incident has caused our Jewish students and their families, and the impact it continues to have on the entire EB community.” Superintendent Valeski said. “East Brunswick Public Schools has been a thriving, diverse educational institution. “We do not tolerate bias and we investigate all reports of anti-Semitism.”
Valeski also said some students already have yearbooks, but the district will stop distributing yearbooks and work with publishers to correct the removal of Jewish students. The district will also cooperate with law enforcement.
After the news broke, the Jewish Federation in the Heart of New Jersey issued a press release calling the incident “an apparent deliberate and malicious alteration of the photos and names of Jewish students.”
ABC News, which has been covering the story (as well as NBC News), quoted Valeski: “If you are an employee, this is like losing your job. If you are a student, you should probably look at the Code of Conduct Handbook.”