A Jewish teacher at Hillcrest High School in the Queens borough of New York City endured a two-hour ordeal as "radicalized" students launched a protest, demanding her termination after discovering her attendance at a pro-Israel rally.
The incident occurred Monday around 11 a.m., triggered by the teacher's Facebook photo showing her supporting Israel on Oct. 9, the New York Post reported.
"A bunch of kids decided to make a group chat, expose her, talk about it, and then talk about starting a riot," said a senior student to the Post. Hundreds of students flooded the school's hallways, chanting slogans, waving Palestinian flags, and attempting to enter the teacher's classroom.
NYPD and school administrators intervened in time, escorting the teacher to safety in a locked office. The students recorded the chaos, sharing videos on TikTok, some set to Arabic music with captions like "Hillcrest high school had a riot because a Health teacher was supporting Israel."
City Councilman James Gennaro revealed that the NYPD's counterterrorism task force investigated a potential threat against the school.
"Whether it was one student or multiple students who did or said something, whatever the trigger was, something happened. And I know from my many years on the City Council that the counterterrorism task force is not engaged unless they believe it is potentially a serious situation," Gennaro said.
The teacher, who remains anonymous for safety reasons, expressed her shock at the calls for violence against her, stating, "No one should ever feel unsafe at school — students and teachers alike."
A Hillcrest senior said the situation escalated as students reportedly found the teacher's personal information, including her address and phone number.
The incident underscores growing concerns about antisemitism in New York schools following the recent Israel-Gaza conflict.
"It went from a teacher just changing a photograph on her social profile to this contagion of hate being released in the halls of Hillcrest High School," Gennaro said.
"It's a sad commentary on the rancid hate that exists within the hearts of students — for Jews."
Councilman Robert Holden expressed shock at the students' actions, emphasizing their apparent lack of understanding of the Middle East's history.
"I don't know why these students are so misinformed, so intolerant and so radicalized. They don't even know the history of the Middle East. They haven't been taught that," he said.
A source familiar with the incident told the Post that at least three students involved in organizing the riot face superintendent's suspensions, the most severe punishment.
Principal Scott Milczewski, who is barred by law from discussion the particulars of disciplinary actions, said the New York City Department of Education "has a discipline code and I promise you that has been followed."
He highlighted the need for support from parents, acknowledging the challenges of outnumbered adults in a school with 2,500 students.
New York police returned to the school Tuesday, arresting an 18-year-old student for making threats over a group chat. Gennaro suggested the Israel-Gaza conflict provided a "convenient excuse" for students to act out.
Chancellor David Banks, a Hillcrest graduate, said during a Manhattan town hall meeting, "We have our whole team working very closely with the students and the teachers at the school. But what's happening in the Middle East has gotten a lot of emotions from a lot of people. We're still figuring out what's going on."
Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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