Los Angeles, October 19, 2011….The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today applauded the Los Angeles Unified School District for strongly denouncing the anti-Semitic remarks of former LAUSD employee Patricia McAllister, and for making clear that her videotaped statement at the Occupy LA protests calling for "Zionist Jews…to be run out of this country" were her views alone and not those of the district.  McAllister, a part-time substitute teacher, is no longer employed by LAUSD.

"Superintendent Deasy and the school district took a clear and firm stand against anti-Semitism by clearly and unequivocally condemning McAllister's remarks," said Amanda Susskind, ADL Los Angeles Regional Director.  

"We welcome his statement, and we hope that others more directly affiliated with the Occupy Wall Street and Occupy LA movements will make similar efforts to denounce any expressions of anti-Semitism during the protests.  Regardless of how 'fringe' these statements may seem, they have found a large audience on the Internet, and should be denounced as loudly as possible as unacceptable expressions of anti-Semitism."

In a statement issued earlier this week, ADL called on organizers, participants and supporters of these rallies to condemn such bigoted statements clearly and forcefully.

In his statement, Superintendent Deasy condemned McAllister's remarks, and added, "I further emphasize to our students, who watch us and look to us for guidance, to be role models and to represent the ideals by which LAUSD lives, that we will never stand for behavior that is disrespectful, intolerant or discriminatory."