Florida antisemitism laws are anchored in the state’s formal adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition, written into Section 1.015 of the Florida Statutes in 2024. That single definition drives how public schools, state universities, police, prosecutors, and civil rights agencies identify and respond to anti-Jewish bias, and it connects to a network of criminal penalties, education mandates, and antidiscrimination protections spread across the code.
How Florida Defines Antisemitism
Section 1.015 defines antisemitism as “a certain perception of Jewish individuals which may be expressed as hatred toward such individuals,” with manifestations directed at Jewish and non-Jewish people, their property, and Jewish community institutions or religious facilities.1Florida Senate. Florida Statutes Chapter 1 Section 015 – Antisemitism The definition applies across every Florida statute, so it governs how state agencies and courts interpret antisemitic conduct in any setting.
The statute lists eleven specific examples. Among them: calling for or justifying harm to Jewish people, spreading dehumanizing stereotypes about Jewish collective power such as the myth of Jewish control over media or government, denying or minimizing the Holocaust, and accusing Jewish citizens of being more loyal to Israel than to the United States.1Florida Senate. Florida Statutes Chapter 1 Section 015 – Antisemitism
Several examples address rhetoric about Israel. Claiming the existence of the State of Israel is a racist endeavor, holding Jewish individuals collectively responsible for Israeli government actions, using classic antisemitic imagery like blood libel to characterize Israel, and applying double standards by demanding conduct of Israel not expected of other democratic nations all fall inside the definition.1Florida Senate. Florida Statutes Chapter 1 Section 015 – Antisemitism
The statute also draws a line. Criticism of Israel that resembles criticism directed at any other country is not antisemitism. And the law expressly states it may not be construed to diminish or infringe on First Amendment rights or to conflict with federal or state antidiscrimination laws.1Florida Senate. Florida Statutes Chapter 1 Section 015 – Antisemitism
Rules for Public K-12 Schools
Section 1000.05 requires every public educational institution to treat discrimination motivated by antisemitism the same way it treats discrimination motivated by race, whether the conduct comes from students, employees, or institutional policies.2Florida Senate. Florida Code 1000.05 – Discrimination Against Students and Employees in the Florida K-20 Public Education System Prohibited The IHRA definition and its examples guide administrators in identifying what counts as antisemitic conduct.
Holocaust education is mandatory. Section 1003.42 requires instruction on the systematic annihilation of European Jews by Nazi Germany from 1933 to 1945, and the curriculum must cover the policy against antisemitism, its definition, and both historical and contemporary examples as described in Section 1000.05. Each school district annually certifies compliance to the Florida Department of Education.3Statutes & Constitution. Florida Statutes 1003.42 – Required Instruction A 2020 amendment expanded the instruction to explicitly include antisemitism education and its prevention.4Florida Senate. 2020 CS for CS for SB 1628
The Legislature has also directed physical-security funding to Jewish day schools and preschools: $25 million in a November 2023 special session and another $20 million for fiscal year 2024–2025, for cameras, perimeter fencing, shatter-resistant glass, and perimeter lighting, allocated based on law enforcement risk assessments.5Florida Senate. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES STAFF FINAL BILL ANALYSIS – HB 1109 Security for Jewish Day Schools and Preschools
Rules for State Colleges and Universities
Section 1000.05 applies the same framework across the entire K-20 public education system, so state colleges and universities must also treat antisemitic discrimination as equivalent to racial discrimination and use the IHRA examples when deciding whether specific campus conduct amounts to discriminatory harassment.2Florida Senate. Florida Code 1000.05 – Discrimination Against Students and Employees in the Florida K-20 Public Education System Prohibited
In August 2024, the Florida Department of Education directed all Florida College System institutions to review instructional materials for antisemitic or anti-Israeli bias. Schools had to identify every 2024 course whose syllabus or description referenced terms like Israel, Palestine, Middle East, Zionism, Judaism, or Jewish, then review all instructional materials used in the flagged courses by the end of Fall Term 2024.6Florida Department of Education. Instructional Materials Review for Anti-Israeli and Antisemitic Material
Executive Order 23-242 directed the State University System and the Florida College System to waive certain transfer requirements for Jewish students at out-of-state institutions who have a well-founded fear of antisemitic persecution. The order waived credit-hour requirements that would normally affect first- and second-year students and eliminated application date windows that could otherwise delay a transfer.7Office of Governor Ron DeSantis. Governor DeSantis Ensures Order on Florida’s University and College Campuses
Hate Crime Penalty Enhancements
When a crime is motivated by anti-Jewish bias, Section 775.085 reclassifies the offense to the next-highest category. The enhancement applies to any felony or misdemeanor showing prejudice based on religion, race, color, ancestry, ethnicity, sexual orientation, national origin, homeless status, or advanced age.8Florida Senate. Florida Code 775.085 – Evidencing Prejudice While Committing Offense; Reclassification
The reclassification changes the exposure at every level:
- A second-degree misdemeanor becomes a first-degree misdemeanor, and the maximum jail time rises from 60 days to one year.
- A first-degree misdemeanor becomes a third-degree felony. The maximum jumps from one year in jail to five years in state prison, and the maximum fine rises from $1,000 to $5,000.9Official Internet Site of the Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 775.082 – Penalties; Applicability of Sentencing Structures; Notification Requirements
- A third-degree felony becomes a second-degree felony. The maximum prison term rises from five years to fifteen years, and the maximum fine rises from $5,000 to $10,000.10Official Internet Site of the Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 775.083 – Fines
Take simple battery. Ordinarily a first-degree misdemeanor with a one-year jail cap, it becomes a third-degree felony carrying up to five years in state prison if the underlying motive was antisemitic bias. Prosecutors and courts use the IHRA definition and its examples to determine whether the prejudice element is met.
Crimes Against Religious Property and Symbols
Florida has separate criminal statutes for damage to religious buildings and symbols, and they carry heavier penalties than ordinary vandalism at the same dollar amount, before any hate-crime enhancement is layered on top.
Section 806.13 makes it a third-degree felony to damage a synagogue, mosque, or other place of worship, or any religious article inside one, when the damage exceeds $200. That is up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $5,000. Ordinary property damage at that dollar level would only be a first-degree misdemeanor.
Section 806.135 covers deliberate destruction of memorials and historic property, a category that includes religious symbols. That is a second-degree felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000, and a court must order the convicted person to pay full restitution for repair or replacement.11Florida Senate. Florida Code 806.135 – Destroying or Demolishing a Memorial or Historic Property
Section 784.0493 addresses harassment tied to religious identity directly. Deliberately harassing or intimidating someone because that person is wearing or displaying something connected to their religious or ethnic heritage is a first-degree misdemeanor, punishable by up to one year in jail.12Florida Senate. Florida Code 784.0493 – Harassment or Intimidation Based on Religious or Ethnic Heritage Targeting someone for wearing a Star of David or a kippah falls squarely within it. Combined with the Section 775.085 enhancement, the same conduct can be reclassified as a third-degree felony.
Housing and Employment Protections
Florida’s civil rights code protects Jewish residents in housing and at work. Section 760.23 makes it illegal to refuse to sell or rent a dwelling, discriminate in the terms or conditions of a rental, or steer prospective buyers or renters away from a property because of their religion, and it also bars advertisements indicating a religious preference or limitation.13Official Internet Site of the Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 760.23 – Discrimination in the Sale or Rental of Housing and Other Prohibited Practices
Section 760.10 prohibits employers from firing, refusing to hire, or otherwise discriminating against someone because of religion, and applies the same protections to employment agencies and labor organizations.14Official Internet Site of the Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 760.10 – Unlawful Employment Practices These provisions cover all religious discrimination, not only antisemitism, but they are the vehicle Jewish employees and job applicants use to challenge anti-Jewish bias. Complaints go to the Florida Commission on Human Relations, which investigates and coordinates with federal agencies like the EEOC where jurisdictions overlap.
Reporting an Incident and Getting Help
Section 877.19 requires every Florida law enforcement agency to file a monthly report with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement on any criminal acts that show prejudice based on religion, race, ethnicity, color, ancestry, sexual orientation, or national origin.15Florida Senate. Florida Code 877.19 – Hate Crimes Reporting Act Reporting an antisemitic incident to local police is what triggers that mandatory data trail.
Victims of antisemitic crimes may qualify for financial assistance through the Florida Attorney General’s Crime Victims’ Compensation Program, which covers medical care, lost income, mental health services, funeral expenses, and other costs directly related to the crime.16My Florida Legal. Crime Victims Services Filing a police report preserves eligibility for that compensation.