What happened to a 15 year old Jewish girl at Nathan Hale High School in Seattle is not just deeply disturbing. It is a case study in how antisemitism spreads when institutions fail to confront it. And in how that failure left unchecked. Produces something genuinely terrifying.
This is racism. This is hate. This is evil. And the response from the school system made it worse.
I call upon the Mayor of Seattle, Governor of Washington, State Attorney General. All city, state and federal representatives to condemn this attack without hesitation. I urge them to fully investigate every student and staff member involved and to offer their unwavering support to the victim and her family. The people of Seattle and the entire state of Washington should be horrified that this happened.
We should be embarrassed. We should be ashamed.
There is an infection of evil spreading in our country. This case is one of the most chilling symptoms. I fear what the students who committed this act may be capable of as adults. If this hatred is left unchecked and unpunished.
What Happened: The Nathan Hale Case in Detail
The student at the center of this case referred to in court documents as M.K.L. Was a 15 year old freshman at Seattle’s Nathan Hale High School during the 2023-24 school year. The harassment she faced . Began in the immediate aftermath of the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel and escalated steadily throughout the year.
The Harassment
Daily antisemitic slurs, including “I hate Jews” and “Hitler’s plan should have worked.” Swastikas drawn on school property. Online harassment targeting her specifically through TikTok and Instagram. Physical intimidation, including spitting and threats to “kill yourself.”
The Mob May 22, 2024
On May 22, 2024 approximately 20 students chased M.K.L. through the school building. A teacher intervened and locked her in a classroom. The students surrounded the door banging on it, rattling the handle, shouting antisemitic threats. And calling for her to come out so they could assault her. M.K.L. believed her life was in danger. She refused to return to campus after that day. Her family ultimately withdrew her from the school entirely.
The School’s Failure
The family repeatedly reported the harassment to Principal Dr. William Jackson and Vice Principal Makela Steward-Monroe. According to the lawsuit. School officials failed to investigate, failed to discipline the students involved. And failed to publicly address the pattern of antisemitic behavior that was escalating throughout the year.
Particularly troubling the school officials reportedly refused to preserve or release surveillance footage. Footage they had previously used internally. Raising serious concerns that evidence was deliberately concealed.
The Legal Action
M.K.L.’s family first filed suit in June 2025 in King County Superior Court. They later voluntarily dismissed that complaint and refiled the case in federal court. In November 2025 the family filed a federal civil rights lawsuit in U.S. District Court. Against Seattle Public Schools, Nathan Hale High School and then principal Dr. William Jackson. Alleging discrimination and the district’s failure to protect a Jewish student. The suit seeks compensatory and punitive damages against the former principal. And court ordered measures requiring the district to address antisemitism. M.K.L. continues to suffer PTSD like symptoms nightmares, flashbacks, and severe anxiety. She missed the final weeks of the school year and has since transferred to a different school.
Seattle Public Schools has expressed commitment to reviewing the allegations. And has reaffirmed that it does not tolerate discrimination. Community organizations, including the Jewish Community Relations Council and Project Shema. Had provided anti-bias training earlier in the year. The lawsuit argues that systemic failures persisted regardless.
Update 2026: Dr. William Jackson has since left Nathan Hale and now serves as director of teaching and learning for the Bellevue School District. A move that has itself drawn public criticism. The case remains active in federal court.
This Is Not an Isolated Incident
The Nathan Hale case did not happen in a vacuum. It happened in the context of a documented national surge in antisemitism. That accelerated sharply following the October 7 Hamas attack. According to the Anti Defamation League. Antisemitic incidents in the United States reached record levels in 2023. With a dramatic spike in the months following October 7. Campus antisemitism in particular became one of the most visible and alarming features of the crisis. With incidents reported at universities and high schools across the country.
Washington State was not immune. What happened at Nathan Hale High School is one of the most documented and legally actionable examples. But it represents a pattern not an exception. Jewish students in this state and across the country. Are navigating school environments where hatred has been normalized. Where administrators hesitate to act and where the institutions responsible for their safety. Have repeatedly failed them.
The pattern is not limited to a single student. In May 2026 a second former Nathan Hale student. Filed her own lawsuit against Seattle Public Schools. Alleging she too endured rampant antisemitic harassment that administrators failed to address. Two lawsuits over the same school within roughly six months. When two separate families reach the same courthouse over the same school. The word for that is not coincidence. It is a pattern of institutional failure.
The question is not simply what to do about Nathan Hale High School. The question is what kind of country and what kind of state we intend to be . And whether we have the courage to act accordingly.
Where Is Washington’s Congressional Delegation?
This incident occurred in Washington State. It was reported nationally. A federal civil rights lawsuit was filed. And the response from Washington’s congressional delegation has been largely silent.
Representative Suzan DelBene who represents a district that includes a substantial Jewish community. And who has been in Congress for over twelve years has not. To my knowledge made a public statement specifically addressing the Nathan Hale case or called for a federal investigation.
https://www.kincaidforcongress.com/2025/07/kincaids-statement-on-antisemitic.html
