Leaked audio sparks antisemitism row at school after cancelled Jewish match
Recording contradicts school’s explanation for cancelling tennis match, prompting condemnation and renewed scrutiny over alleged antisemitism
A leading South African private school is facing accusations of antisemitism after a leaked audio recording appeared to show that a sports fixture was cancelled because pupils did not want to compete against a Jewish school.
The recording, first reported by The Common Sense, captures a conversation between senior staff at Roedean School – an elite Anglican girls’ school in Johannesburg – and King David Linksfield, a prominent Jewish day school in the city.
According to The Common Sense, the audio suggests the cancellation was driven by pressure from within the Roedean community rather than scheduling constraints.
In the recording, a Roedean representative refers to parental pressure unrelated to school sport, saying: “We’re finding increased pressure on us from our communities for something that has nothing to do with schools.”
The Roedean voice appears to link the objections directly to political views surrounding Israel, stating: “They’re basically saying because of the stance that the government took, we’re supposed to support that.”
At another point, the speaker stresses the school’s refusal to take a political position, saying they had to remind parents that “school [is] apolitical, first and foremost, particularly in South Africa,” warning that otherwise “we’re basically going to be an island with school sport.”
That account directly contradicts Roedean’s public explanation. In a message to parents, the school said it was unable to field a team due to prior academic commitments, including compulsory workshops, and had requested either a postponement or cancellation of the match.
Following the cancellation, a member of staff at King David alleged that antisemitism was the underlying reason.
Later in the recording, a King David representative raises safeguarding concerns, saying: “I’m not willing to place any student at risk at any level.” Referring to fears of hostility from the sidelines, the speaker adds: “These are children that we’re speaking about… I’m not prepared to allow my kids to be exposed to that.”
In response, the King David Schools Foundation said it was treating the matter with “the seriousness it deserves” and would act in every instance to protect its pupils “against antisemitism and all forms of discrimination”.
The South African Jewish Board of Deputies condemned what it described as “blatant prejudice” by Roedean.
In a publicly released letter Roedean had said that it “strongly refutes” allegations of antisemitism, saying it was engaging directly with King David Linksfield and the Independent Schools Association of South Africa.
The revelations have also revived scrutiny of a separate controversy in 2023, when Roedean sought to appoint an external organisation to provide what it described as “holistic Islamic enrichment” for pupils. That proposal later drew criticism from counter-extremism experts over alleged antisemitic content linked to the group.
Benji Shulman, a terrorism and radicalisation analyst at the Middle East Africa Research Institute, told The Common Sense that the latest allegations were particularly serious because they appeared to involve an institutional decision rather than isolated behaviour.
“The concern is not individual misconduct but that the institution itself may have sought to avoid fixtures with King David because it is a Jewish school,” he said.
Legal experts cited by The Common Sense said that civil – and potentially criminal – consequences could follow if unlawful discrimination were established.
Jewish News has approached Roedean School for comment.
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