A scheduled inter-school tennis fixture between Roedean School and King David Linksfield has become the centre of a heated dispute, with allegations of antisemitism and discrimination drawing widespread concern across the education community.

The South African Jewish Board of Deputies (SAJBD) has condemned Roedean, accusing the Parktown-based girls’ school of refusing to honour the match against the King David girls’ team. In a statement issued on February 8, the organisation described the incident as ‘deeply upsetting’ for the Jewish learners involved and warned that it risked sending a damaging message about hate and exclusion in school sport.

Read more: Roedean School denies antisemitism claims after cancelled tennis match with King David Linksfield

“Sport has the potential to unite and celebrate diversity, but that opportunity was regrettably lost,” said Danny Mofsowitz, chairperson of the SAJBD Gauteng Council. He added that Roedean could not claim to be guided by strong values while allegedly acting in a way that contradicted the principles of South Africa’s Constitution. The SAJBD said it would work closely with the South African Board of Jewish Education to address the matter.

King David School confirmed it had communicated with its parent body about the incident and said it was continuing to engage with both the Independent Schools Association of Southern Africa (ISASA) and Roedean to seek clarity and resolution.

In response, Roedean has firmly rejected any suggestion of antisemitism, saying the allegations stem from a misunderstanding around the logistics of the fixture. The school acknowledged the distress caused and confirmed it is engaging directly with King David Linksfield and ISASA to ensure that the circumstances are fully understood.

In a message to its community, Roedean said it became aware of a circulating voice note, allegedly attributed to a senior teacher at King David Linksfield, which claimed the match was forfeited for discriminatory reasons. Following an internal review, the school said the contents of the voice note were ‘factually incorrect’.

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According to Roedean, the school formally notified King David on February 2 that it would be unable to field a team for the fixture due to prior commitments, including compulsory academic workshops. It requested either a postponement or, if that was not possible, a cancellation. King David, Roedean said, acknowledged this communication in writing and confirmed the fixture would be recorded as a forfeit in line with protocol, meaning no formal match was scheduled to take place on February 3.

“Roedean has a long-standing commitment to inclusion and respect for all communities, and antisemitism has no place in our school,” the statement read. “We reject unequivocally any allegation of antisemitism or discriminatory conduct.”

The school also pointed to its long-standing inter-school relationship with King David Linksfield, noting that they have participated in many sporting and cultural events together over the years.

Both schools have indicated that discussions are ongoing and that further communication will follow once the matter has been fully reviewed through the appropriate processes.

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