East Brunswick High School Has a Problem and District Officials Aren’t Talking About It

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EAST BRUNSWICK, N.J. – It’s been four months since an East Brunswick High School teacher replaced a Jewish Student Union yearbook photo with a group of Muslim students, sparking an outcry in one district community with a history of going blind. Beware of anti-Semitism.

The East Brunswick School District in New Jersey has faced backlash over a controversy involving its high school yearbook. The problem began when students at East Brunswick High School noticed that the Jewish Student Union (JSU) had been omitted from the yearbook. Not only were the names of the JSU members omitted, but the space intended for their photo was replaced with an image of Muslim students from a different club. This move, which many local leaders and community members saw as an act of selective erasure, sparked accusations of anti-Semitism.

Mayor Brad Cohen of East Brunswick described the incident as a “blatant anti-Semitic act” and the school district hired an independent law firm to investigate. The investigation, led by Brisman Law, aims to determine whether the omission was deliberate or an error. Superintendent Victor Valeski apologized for the harm caused and emphasized the importance of accountability. He also expressed his deep regret for the harm this incident caused, not only to the Jewish students but to the community at large.

The district paid an independent attorney to investigate the incident. That investigation claimed it was just a mistake.

“I think the senior advisor was careless at best, but her actions can also be considered negligent. “I should have paid more attention to details when selecting the photograph.” stated the report given to the district. The district removed the yearbook advisor’s name from the report.

On Thursday we asked Superintendent Victor Valeski to release the teacher’s name. Valeski did not respond to our email.

“(The teacher) expressed deep remorse for her mistake, and sadness that her mistake caused the uproar. She “has no ill will toward any group of people.” She was visibly distressed as she discussed the possibility that she had done this on purpose, and vehemently denied having done so. Regarding the question of whether another person could have
He changed the image on purpose, he doesn’t think it’s possible since they would have done it.
to obtain your username and password. It should be noted that the electronic history of the page shows it.
working on the page shortly before it was “sent.”

Both the Jewish and Muslim communities were affected, and Muslim students unknowingly discovered that their photograph had been misused, sparking an online backlash against them. The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) called for a fair and thorough investigation, highlighting the risk of compounding harm.

This incident is not an isolated case; Reports of anti-Semitic behavior in the district have been increasing. Over the years, Jewish students have faced harassment such as verbal insults and offensive stereotypes. This pattern, combined with the yearbook controversy, has raised greater concerns about the district’s handling of bigotry and prejudice.

District leaders promise to learn from this controversy and work to create a more inclusive environment, but the situation has clearly shaken the confidence of many residents. As investigations continue, all eyes are on school administration to see how they resolve this matter and address the broader issue of bias within their schools.

We asked Valeski if he can explain the actions the district has taken in response to allegations of anti-Semitism, including the incident of harassment and intimidation against Jewish students. He did not respond to our email.

According to a 2017 report, Several students in the district claimed that administrators and staff ignored blatant anti-Semitism.

One student was told he was being “stingy” for being Jewish. Another said he was called a “dumb Jew.” Parents have criticized the district for being slow to respond to complaints and, when they do respond, they feel the district did not take complaints about anti-Semitism seriously.

During a school board meeting, students reported that swastikas with the phrases “Kill all Jews” and “Save Hitler” were carved on desks. In another incident, a student was passed a note that said “KYS,” which is short for “commit suicide” with a swastika.

Parents later learned that the principal of the school where the incident was reported never reported the incident to the district.

“I promise you that we are fully committed to reviewing our responses to alleged incidents of bias. We have already identified, planned and, in some circumstances, initiated decisive actions,” Superintendent of Schools Dr. Victor Valeski said in a statement after the board was briefed.

The school board decided not to issue a statement to parents or students about the anti-Semitic incidents.

“The board did not support a general statement,” Valeski wrote.

Instead, the superintendent said the district would raise awareness about bias, harassment, intimidation and bullying.”

When asked this week how that program was going years later, Valeski declined to comment.

We also asked Valeski about an East Brunswick High School teacher, Elenor Hannum, who is running for political office in her hometown. In that election, Hannum blames his Jewish opponent for “ruining” his city, blaming him for the construction of synagogues and private schools for Jewish children. On a website he operates, he routinely posts photographs of Jewish residents, smearing them and blaming them for the direction their city is taking.

Hannum has refuted that her claims against her Jewish opponent are because he is Jewish, but she was captured on video at several businesses earlier this year claiming otherwise. In video obtained by Shore News Network and in firsthand interviews with local business owners, Hannum petitioned for elected office at dozens of businesses this summer.

Some of those business owners told Shore News Network that Hannum told them, “If you want to stop the Jews, we have to win this election.”

Material on the website, on which Hannum is an author and contributor, uses photographs of Jewish residents with claims that they are “corrupt” or part of a larger plan to “take over” the city. In a photograph he defames the mayor of the city because he posed in a photograph with two Jewish men.

“Read below how (Jewish resident – ​​name redacted) who is at JJCC, the Jewish Community Center is recruiting neighborhood representatives. Has the designated Planning Board president asked you to represent your neighborhood? It is only necessary to apply Frum. (He shows) shows his constant pro-Orthodox movement, which demonstrates his deep conflict,” he reported.

He alleges that the person was unfit for office, simply because he is Jewish.

Valeski declined to comment on Hannum’s anti-Jewish crusade in his hometown. Hannum works as a teacher in the East Brunswick School District. Students deserve to know who she really is.

Hannum, is no stranger to radical behavior. She has filed a tort lawsuit against the town, seeking $500,000 in damages for being called “out of service” during a recent council meeting in which she called the local police department, PBA, and the mayor.