Campus & Community

Dear Panthers,

We stand with Israel and our state and nation against the gruesome and inhumane acts of Hamas and will not tolerate any acts of discrimination or violence against Jews or any people.

The Commissioner of the Florida Department of Education and Chancellor of the State University System recently issued a joint memo on State House Bill 741, a law pertaining to K-20 public educational institutions, which protects Jewish students and employees from discrimination. To see the memo, please click here: https://www.flgov.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/BOG-letter.pdf

Under the law, discrimination motivated by anti-Semitism is treated in the same manner as discrimination based on race. Forms of anti-Semitism that may constitute discrimination on the basis of race include:

1. Calling for, aiding, or justifying the killing or harming of Jews, often in the name of a radical ideology or an extremist view of religion.
2. Making mendacious, dehumanizing, demonizing, or stereotypical allegations about Jews as such or the power of Jews as a collective, especially, but not exclusively, the myth about a world Jewish conspiracy or of Jews controlling the media, economy, government or other societal institutions.
3. Accusing Jews as a people of being responsible for real or imagined wrongdoing committed by a single Jewish person or group, the State of Israel, or even for acts committed by non-Jews.
4. Accusing Jews as a people or the State of Israel of inventing or exaggerating the Holocaust.
5. Accusing Jewish citizens of being more loyal to Israel, or the alleged priorities of Jews worldwide, than to the interest of their own nations.

Anti-Semitic conduct also includes conduct related to Israel, such as:

1. Demonizing Israel by using the symbols and images associated with classic anti-Semitism to characterize Israel or Israelis, drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis, or blaming Israel for all inter-religious or political tensions.
2. Applying a double standard to Israel by requiring behavior of Israel that is not expected or demanded of any other democratic nation, or focusing peace or human rights investigations only on Israel.
3. Delegitimizing Israel by denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination and denying Israel the right to exist.

PBSC’s Campus Security continues to monitor intelligence with federal, state, and local law enforcement for any information pertaining to potential civil disturbances in our area.

The safety of our students and campus community is always our priority. We will continue to be vigilant in maintaining a civil and safe campus for students, faculty, and staff, where all can thrive.

Sincerely,

Ava L. Parker, J.D.
President