Understanding California Assembly Bill 715: A Guide for Families with Students in California Public Schools

AB 715 strengthens existing provisions requiring that all students in California public schools are protected from discrimination based on religion, national origin, or ethnicity. By creating new legal frameworks, oversight mechanisms, and enforcement tools, AB 715 enables schools to address antisemitism and other forms of discrimination facing students more effectively. California classrooms must be nurturing and inclusive learning environments for pupils of all faiths and backgrounds, including Jewish and Israeli-American students.

AB 715 establishes the following rules for California public schools.  

Instructional Materials: 

• Schools cannot adopt or approve textbooks, instructional materials, supplemental resources, or curriculum that would subject pupils to unlawful discrimination. 
• Materials must be factually accurate, align with adopted curriculum and standards, and be consistent with accepted standards of professional responsibility rather than advocacy, personal opinion, bias, or partisanship.
• Schools must investigate and remediate when they know discriminatory materials were used.
• Schools must immediately and permanently remove violating materials from all current and future course offerings.
• Schools must ensure families have access to instructional materials and assessments in a reasonable amount of time, according to school procedures.

Professional Development: 

• Schools cannot adopt professional development materials or services that would subject pupils to unlawful discrimination.
• Schools must investigate and remediate discriminatory professional development when discovered. 

Teaching Standards: 

• Teachers cannot give instruction that promotes discriminatory bias based on protected characteristics.
• Instruction must be factually accurate and align with adopted curriculum and standards.
• Teaching must be consistent with accepted standards of professional responsibility rather than advocacy, personal opinion, bias, or partisanship.
• Schools must take corrective action regarding discriminatory instruction when discovered.

AB 715 strengthens complaint procedures, including by allowing challenges to discrimination in instruction and school-sponsored activities even if the student is not present or directly harmed. The law also provides the ability to appeal directly to the state when a school fails to complete its complaint investigation on time.  

• File with the school: For issues involving discrimination against a student, you can file a complaint with your school using the Uniform Complaint Procedures.
  • You must file no later than six months from the date the incident occurred, or the date you first knew that the incident occurred. 
  • Within 60 days of receiving the complaint, the school must complete its investigation and issue a report.
  • The person filing the complaint must be given the opportunity to provide evidence that supports the allegations.
  • The school’s investigation report should include:
    1. findings of fact based on the evidence gathered;
    2. a conclusion providing a clear determination for each allegation as to whether the school is in compliance with the relevant laws;
    3. corrective actions, if the school finds merit;
    4. notice of the right to appeal the school investigation report to the CA Department of Education within 30 days; and,
    5. the procedures to be followed to initiate such an appeal.
• File with the state: If alleging discriminatory curricula or materials, and where there is evidence that immediate action is necessary, you may file a complaint directly with the CA State Superintendent of Public Instruction.
• File with the federal government: If alleging discrimination based on race or national origin (including antisemitism), a family can also file with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights at any time.

Appeal Rights: 

• Generally, once a school takes action on an internal complaint, families may appeal the school’s decision to the California Department of Education.
• However, where a school fails to issue its investigation report on an internal complaint within 60 days, families may appeal directly to the State Superintendent.
• The State Superintendent may intervene directly when immediate action is necessary. 

No Waiting Requirements: 

• You can seek civil remedies including injunctive relief without waiting for administrative processes.
• Schools must advise families who file internal complaints that civil remedies may also be available.

Tips for Filing:  

• Be thoughtful in choosing where to file. There can be good reasons to file with your school directly, including the possibility that the issue can be resolved more quickly and through administrators you already know and trust. On the other hand, if you do not believe the complaint will be handled fairly or competently within the school based on past experience, and you can show the issue is urgent, it may be more appropriate to file directly with the state.
• Any complaint you file should include:
  • A basic, chronological description of what happened, including names of anyone present, dates, and locations.
  • Any supporting documentation, such as emails, screenshots, or photographs.
  • A simple explanation of your concern and the part of the law you believe was violated. For example, depending on the facts, you can state if you believe your child was discriminated against or harassed based on antisemitism. Or, you can state that you have a concern that class materials or instruction are inaccurate (for example, a historically inaccurate map of Israel), or inconsistent with accepted standards of professional responsibility.
• While complaint filing can be a valuable tool, it is important to use it wisely. Only file complaints regarding issues that are actual violations of law. For example, it would not be appropriate to file a complaint pertaining only to criticism of Israel similar to that leveled against any other country.

AB 715 creates a new Office of Civil Rights, with a dedicated Antisemitism Prevention Coordinator, under the Government Operations Agency (GOA). The Coordinator will be appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the California Senate. Here is what the law requires: 

GOA Office of Civil Rights: 

• Provides education, educational resources, and technical assistance.
• Reviews discrimination complaints and recommends corrective actions.
• Issues annual reports on discrimination and bias in schools. 

Antisemitism Prevention Coordinator: 

• Develops education about antisemitism for teachers, staff, and administrators.
• Tracks and reports antisemitism complaints specifically.
• Engages with local educational agencies and communities on handling antisemitism.
• Recommends future legislation to prevent antisemitism in schools.

Starting with the law's implementation, your school must notify you annually about the protections, requirements, and responsibilities under AB 715.  These may include: 

• Your rights to report discrimination and seek remedies.
• Available complaint procedures and appeal processes.
• School policies regarding discrimination and harassment. 

Key Dates for Reporting and Oversight: 

• January 1, 2026: AB 715 goes into effect.
• January 1, 2027: GOA Office of Civil Rights begins annual review of report on discrimination complaints filed.
• September 1, 2027: Antisemitism Prevention Coordinator begins formal tracking and reporting of antisemitism complaints.
• Annually: GOA Office of Civil Rights reports to Legislature on discrimination and bias. 

This guide provides general information about AB 715 and should not be considered legal advice.  

You can download a PDF of this guide here.

American Jewish Committee (AJC) is the global advocacy organization for the Jewish people. With headquarters in New York and more than 75 offices, institutes, and international Jewish community partnerships worldwide, AJC’s mission is to enhance the well-being of the Jewish people and Israel, and to advance human rights and democratic values in the United States and around the world.

AJC’s Center for Education Advocacy (CEA) fosters academic environments that are inclusive of Jews and Jewish identity and refuse to allow the normalization of antisemitism in any form through a deep commitment to critical thinking, viewpoint diversity, fact-based inquiry – all values that strengthen civil society and democracy for the long term.

Learn more about how families can engage effectively with schools by visiting AJC’s Back to School Resource Hub and Campus Crisis Hub to explore and download the Action Plan for Public K-12 School Administrators and the 10-Step Guide for Parents Supporting Jewish K-12 Students. 

AJC Regional Offices in California

The professional teams leading AJC’s 25 Regional Offices build relationships, advocate, and work alongside local education leaders, policy-makers, students, and parents to help ensure Jewish students are nurtured, included, and empowered. 

AJC Los Angeles
Web: AJC.org/LosAngeles
Email: LosAngeles@ajc.org

AJC Northern California
Web: AJC.org/NorthernCalifornia
Email: NorthernCalifornia@ajc.org

AJC San Diego
Web: AJC.org/SanDiego
Email: SanDiego@ajc.org