Jewish Girls Verbally Abused By Classmate In South Bay School: Reports

MANHATTAN BEACH, CA — Four Jewish students at Manhattan Beach Middle School were targets of verbal abuse at school shortly after the Oct. 7 Hamas attack in Israel, according to multiple reports.

Parents of four young girls told NBC Los Angeles another girl said to their children that she wanted to "kill all Jews" and that she "believes in revenge." According to NBCLA, one parent said the district closed its investigation and determined the other student's words were "political" rather than hateful.

However, according to the Manhattan Beach Unified School District, the incident was immediately reported to school officials and a thorough investigation took place. District officials said the consequences have been administered but that specific details of the investigation must remain private due to student privacy laws.

"Unfortunately, much of what is being shared on social media and within the local community is not based in fact. We also empathize with everyone who is being impacted by the horrific conflict in the Middle East. This has understandably raised tensions and concerns among our students and our community," district officials said in a statement.

Three of the four girls affected by the incident are part of Rabbi Joshua Kalev's congregation, and they felt uncomfortable being identified because of their faith, he told FOX 11. According to Kalev, the incident has affected how other Jewish students feel at school.

"They are young Jewish girls who were sought out at lunch, and to me, there’s nothing political about that, that is hate,” Rabbi Kalev told NBCLA.

After the incident, parents said the school sent home a "No Contact Contract" for the children to sign, according to NBCLA.

According to the Manhattan Beach School District, the document asks students to avoid each other and not speak to one another to avoid re-igniting situations the school is trying to resolve. All students involved in the incident were given the document, but none of them were required to sign it and no gag order was put in place, according to the Manhattan Beach Unified School District.

Similar agreements are commonly used in school districts across the country. Upon further review of the incident, the district decided it would update the language of the current "No Contact Contract" to eliminate confusion regarding its purpose, however.

"At MBUSD, we do not tolerate any form of anti-Semitism or discrimination, both of which go against everything we stand for. Any anti-Semitic speech or action adversely affects our efforts to build a strong and inclusive community and is simply not allowed," district officials said in a prepared statement.