EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ – It has been four months since a teacher at the East Brunswick High School replaced a yearbook photo of the Jewish Student Union with a Muslim student group, causing an outcry in the community at a district with a history of turning a blind eye to antisemitism.
The East Brunswick School District in New Jersey has faced backlash over a controversy involving its high school yearbook. The issue started when students at East Brunswick High School noticed that the Jewish Student Union (JSU) was omitted from the yearbook. Not only were the names of the JSU members left out, but the space meant 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 a targeted act of erasure, sparked accusations of antisemitism.
Mayor Brad Cohen of East Brunswick described the incident as a “blatant antisemitic act,” and the school district has 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 deep regret for the hurt this incident caused, not just to Jewish students but to the wider community.
The district paid an independent attorney to investigate the incident. That investigation claimed it was just a mistake.
“I find that the Lead Advisor was at best careless, but her actions can also be considered negligent. She should have exercised greater attention to detail when selecting the photograph,” the report delivered to the district claimed. The district redacted the name of the yearbook advisor in 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 at her error, and sadness that her mistake caused the uproar. She holds “no ill will for any group of people.” She was visibly distressed when discussing the possibility that she might have done this purposefully, and vehemently denied having done so. Regarding the question of whether another individual might have
changed the picture purposefully, she does not think it is possible as they would have had
to obtain her login and password. Notably, the electronic history of the page shows her
working on the page shortly before it was” submitted.”.
The Jewish and Muslim communities were both impacted, with Muslim students unknowingly finding their photo misused, leading to online backlash against them. The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) called for a fair and thorough investigation, highlighting the risk of compounding the harm.
This incident isn’t an isolated case; reports of antisemitic behavior in the district have been growing. Over the years, Jewish students have faced harassment like verbal slurs and offensive stereotypes. This pattern, combined with the yearbook controversy, has led to heightened concerns about the district’s handling of intolerance and bias.
The district’s leadership promises to learn from this controversy and work towards creating a more inclusive environment, but the situation has clearly shaken the trust of many residents. As investigations continue, all eyes are on the school administration to see how it resolves this matter and addresses the broader issue of bias within its schools.
We asked Valeski if he can explain steps the district has made in response to claims of antisemitism, including incident of harassment and bullying against Jewish students. He did not reply to our email.
According to a 2017 report, multiple students in the district claimed administrators and staff ignored blatant anti-semitsm.
One student was told they were being ‘stingy’ for being Jewish. Another said he was called a ‘dumb jew’. Parents have criticized the district for being slow to repond to complaints, and when they do respond, parents feel the district did not take complaints about anti-semitism seriously.
During a school board meeting, students reported that swastikas were carved into desks with statements “Kill all Jews” and “Hail Hitler”. In another incident, a student was passed a note that said “KYS”, which is short for ‘kill yourself’ with a swastika.
Later, parents learned that the principal at the school where it was reported, never reported the incident to the district.
“I pledge to you that we are fully engaged in reviewing our responses to alleged bias incidents. We have already identified, planned, and in some circumstances initiated, purposeful actions,” said schools superintendent Dr. Victor Valeski in statement after it was brought to the board’s attention.
The school board decided not to issue a statement to parents or students regarding the antisemitic incidents.
“The board did not support a blanket statement,” Valeski wrote.
Instead, the superintendent said the district would raise awarenes 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 a teacher at the East Brunswick High School, Elenor Hannum, who is running for political office in her hometown. In that election, Hannum blames her Jewish opponent for ‘ruining’ her town, blaming him for the building of synagogues and private schools for Jewish children. On a website she operates, she routinley posts pictures of Jewish residents, defaming them and blaming them for the direction her town is going.
Hannum has refuted that her claims against her Jewish opponent are because he’s Jewish, but she was captured on video in several businesses earlier this year claiming otherwise. In video obtained by Shore News Network and first hand interviews with local business owners, this summer, Hannum placed petitions for elected office in dozens of businesses.
Some of those business owners told Shore News Network that Hannum told them “If you want to stop the Jews, we need to win this election.”
In the material on the website, in which Hannum is an author and contributor, she uses photos of Jewish residents with claims that they are ‘corrupt’ and or part of a bigger scheme to ‘take over’ the town. In one photo she defames the town’s mayor because he posed in a photo with two Jewish men.
“Read Below, how [Jewish resident – name redacted] who is on the JJCC, Jewish Community Center is recruiting neighborhood representatives. Were you asked to represent your neighborhood from the appointed Planning Board President? Only the Frum need apply. [he shows] shows his constant Pro-Orthodox movement, proving his deep conflict,” she reported.
She alleges that the person was not-suitable for office, simply because he is Jewish.
Valeski declined to comment on Hannum’s anti-Jewish crusade in her hometown. Hannum is employed 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 claim against the township, claiming $500,000 in damages over being called ‘out of order’ during a recent council meeting in which she called the local police department PBA and mayor ‘corrupt’.
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