Dillon PLLC Teams Up with the Brandeis Center to File Complaint Against Private School in Virginia

On July 1, 2025, Dillon PLLC, in partnership with the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law, filed a formal complaint against The Nysmith School in Northern Virginia. The complaint, submitted to the Commonwealth of Virginia’s Office of Civil Rights, was filed on behalf of a Jewish family whose three children were abruptly expelled mid-year after their parents raised concerns about antisemitic harassment at the school.

Partner Justin Dillon stated:

“Expelling three young Jewish kids in the middle of the school year after their parents voiced concerns about antisemitism is beyond the pale. And don’t get me started about that picture of Hitler.”

The complaint alleges, among other things, that the parents’ 11-year-old daughter was taunted for being “Israeli” and told that “Israel and Jews are baby killers” and that “Israelis deserve to die because of what is happening in Gaza.” The complaint also alleges that during a class project in which the students drew a composite photo of a “strong historical leader,” the face on the drawing was Adolf Hitler’s—and a photo of the project was later shared with the entire school community. And according to the complaint, around the same time that the school cancelled its annual tradition of hosting a Holocaust survivor to discuss the Holocaust, it hung a Palestinian flag in the gym. 

The complaint alleges that just two days after the parents met with the head of school to discuss their concerns, their children were summarily expelled—with no notice whatsoever, and right in the middle of the school year.

Dillon PLLC is proud to stand with the Brandeis Center and the family to seek justice in this case. To read the complaint, click here.