Virginia’s Elite Nysmith School Accused of Expelling Jewish Students Amid Antisemitism Complaint

HERNDON, Va. – The Nysmith School for the Gifted, a prestigious K-8 private academy in Northern Virginia, is facing a civil-rights investigation after a formal complaint accused the school of expelling three Jewish siblings who reported months of antisemitic bullying. Filed July 1 with the Virginia Attorney General’s Office, the complaint by the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law alleges that administrators repeatedly ignored harassment of an 11-year-old sixth-grader who was taunted as a “baby-killer,” mocked for a relative’s death and shown a class art project depicting Adolf Hitler as a “strong historical leader.” When the family pressed the school to act, Headmaster Kenneth Nysmith allegedly told them to have their daughter “toughen up” and, two days later, expelled all three of their children without disciplinary cause. According to the filing, the school also scrapped its annual Holocaust-survivor program, citing concerns that the talk could “inflame tensions” amid the Israel-Hamas war, and raised a Palestinian flag in the gym shortly before the bullying intensified. The parents say the expulsions hit mid-semester, leaving no comparable schools with open seats and forcing the children into online classes. Jeffrey Lang, senior litigation counsel for the Brandeis Center, argues the actions violate the Virginia Human Rights Act, which requires private schools that accept tuition to provide a safe environment for all students. Advocates want the school to apologize, adopt a clear definition of antisemitism, train staff and readmit the children. Nysmith School has not responded to multiple requests for comment. In marketing materials, the 700-student campus touts top national test scores, a 9:1 student-teacher ratio and dozens of STEM awards. Critics say those accolades mask a culture that failed to protect Jewish students at a time when antisemitic incidents nationwide are at record highs. The Virginia Attorney General’s Office can subpoena records, compel testimony and impose penalties, including restitution or withdrawal of state licenses. Civil litigation remains possible if the school refuses to settle. For families across Northern Virginia’s competitive private-school market, the outcome could set a precedent on how institutions handle faith-based harassment—especially as tensions over the Middle East reverberate in American classrooms.