New York Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik raised concerns during a recent exchange with David Banks, chancellor of the New York City Public Schools, regarding the handling of alleged incidents of antisemitism in the school district.
Stefanik highlighted a case at Hillcrest High School in Queens, where a principal faced allegations of antisemitism. Despite being removed from the position, the principal was reportedly reassigned to a senior role within the district, prompting Stefanik to question the accountability and enforcement measures in place.
Banks, while unable to confirm the current role of the former principal, acknowledged the reassignment but emphasized that the individual was no longer in the initial position.
Another incident discussed involved allegations of students at Origins High School in Brooklyn chanting 'death to Jews.' While Banks stated that an investigation did not find evidence of such chants in the hallways, he described the findings as deeply troubling. Several students at the school were reportedly suspended in connection with the incident.
Regarding a separate incident at another school, Banks revealed that a principal had disciplined a teacher for accompanying a student to an anti-Israel protest, deeming the action inappropriate. Both the principal and teacher faced disciplinary measures, although they were not terminated from their positions.
As the exchange unfolded, Stefanik expressed concerns over what she perceived as a lack of enforcement and accountability in addressing antisemitism within the school district, urging for more stringent measures to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future.
