Worthington City Council Statement

The Jewish Community Relations Council and the JewishColumbus Board are deeply disturbed by the events that transpired at the Worthington City Council meeting on September 16th. During the meeting, two individuals—who we have confirmed are not Worthington residents—engaged in egregious antisemitic outbursts, including the vile phrase, “F**k the Jews.”

We acknowledge that City Councils have bylaws and procedures for public comment, but it is unacceptable that such blatant hate speech was neither addressed during the meeting nor denounced in the subsequent public statement. We have communicated our profound disappointment with the Council’s insufficient response.

This instance of antisemitism must be recognized for what it is and addressed with the gravity it deserves. We call on the Worthington City Council to issue a formal apology for allowing this hate speech to go unchallenged and to clearly affirm that such behavior is entirely unacceptable.

Our leaders have a responsibility to stand against antisemitism, and the lack of a strong public response from Worthington City Council is deeply troubling. For all residents to feel safe, it is imperative that lies and hateful speech are promptly and unequivocally condemned. We urge the City Council to adopt stricter policies and procedures for public comments to ensure that individuals cannot hide behind anonymity while expressing hate.

The Jewish Community Relations Council and the JewishColumbus Board are calling for an official apology from the Worthington City Council to the community and the Jewish population. Additionally, we request a meeting with the Council to offer education and resources to better address and prevent such incidents in the future.