Willkie, led by Former Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, Files Brief for JPAC in Support of AB 715 – Landmark California Law Prohibiting Antisemitism in K-12 Schools

CALIFORNIA – On Monday, December 1, the Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP pro bono legal team, led by partners Alex Weingarten, Matthew Gurvitz, and Former Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, proudly filed an amicus brief for JPAC in opposition to a challenge against AB 715. Thirty-one diverse Jewish organizations across California signed onto the brief.

The challenge comes from the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) and a group of California teachers and students who sought a preliminary injunction to stop the law from going into effect. These teachers argue that it is appropriate to use their classrooms to spread their personal political views even if they are antisemitic. The complaint incorrectly asserts that the law constitutes an infringement on their First Amendment rights and falsely claims that AB 715’s reference to the Biden Administration’s 2023 U.S. National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism – an initiative led by then-Second Gentleman Emhoff – is unconstitutional.

Antisemitic incidents in California’s K-12 schools have increased by 623% in the last decade, exposing Jewish children to verbal harassment and biased instruction. Anti-Jewish hate crimes statewide more than tripled during that time, including a 64% increase in the last two years, according to the California Department of Justice.

To fight this crisis of rising antisemitism, the Jewish Public Affairs Committee of California (JPAC) – the voice of California’s Jewish community – led the advocacy efforts to pass Assembly Bill 715, authored by Assemblymembers Rick Chavez Zbur and Dawn Addis. This landmark law, set to take effect on January 1, 2026, creates the nation’s first statewide Antisemitism Prevention Coordinator to develop antisemitism trainings for educators, track incidents, guide accountability, and recommend future reforms. It also requires schools to respond swiftly to incidents and build safer, more inclusive school environments.

“AB 715 is a landmark victory for student safety and inclusion” said David Bocarsly, Executive Director of JPAC. “California schools must be places where every child, including Jewish students, can learn without fear of harassment or bias. We are grateful to Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP for standing with us to defend this critical law and protect our children’s right to a safe, respectful education."

The brief argues that AB 715 is a constitutionally sound approach that allows schools to prevent harassment without infringing upon First Amendment rights. It clarifies that teachers do not have a constitutional right to determine the curriculum taught in schools or to express personal opinions that deviate from state-mandated curriculum. It also argues that AB 715 is not unconstitutionally vague because it applies well-established non-discrimination principles consistent with myriad other California laws.

The amicus brief was filed in the case of Andrea Prichett, et al., v. Gavin Newsom, et al. (case number 5:25-cv-09443-NW-NMC) in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. The hearing on Plaintiffs’ motion for a preliminary injunction is scheduled for December 17, 2025.

You can read the amicus brief here.