Borough Parents Rally Against School Curriculum Changes
Parents at a prominent Brooklyn Technical High School are expressing outrage, claiming that educators are “brainwashing” students. They argue that traditional literature like Steinbeck and Hemingway is being replaced with books focused on gender fluidity and anti-Israel sentiment.
This complaint, aimed at 10th-grade English teacher David Whitman, comes amid rising concerns about anti-Semitism at the Fort Greene School for Gifted Education. Recently, a swastika was found scratched into a blackboard in one of the classrooms, school officials reported.
In an attempt to cover the offensive carving, staff members simply put up rabbit stickers.
“Given a curriculum that appears biased against the Jewish community, it’s perhaps not surprising that we encounter swastikas in schools,” remarked Moshe Spern, the president of the National Jewish Teachers Association.
Critics describe Whitman’s teaching materials as akin to a “woke indoctrination manual.” This includes books like “Funny Boy,” which tells the story of a Sri Lankan boy grappling with his identity, as well as a worksheet titled “The Wonders of Gender Fluidity in Africa.”
One passage critiques colonialism for allegedly spreading homophobia and transphobia throughout Africa and its diasporas.
Even classic texts, such as Shakespeare’s “The Tempest,” are interpreted through this modern lens, emphasizing themes of colonialism and the subjugation of indigenous peoples.
Another reading assignment includes a 2023 column from the New York Times titled “The Talmud’s Eight Gendereds,” suggesting that ancient Jewish texts support transgender identities. Rabbi Eliot Kukla argues that sacred texts reflect diverse gender identities—a view contested by many Orthodox Jewish scholars.
Some parents and students express disappointment, feeling that such lessons breach an executive order placed by former President Trump that restricts federal funding for educational content supporting “gender ideology.” New York City schools, it should be noted, rely on approximately $2 billion in federal funding per year.
“Education turns into indoctrination when teachers swap factual information for ideology. They don’t have the right to brainwash my child,” one parent remarked.
Linda Quarles, a former parent at Brooklyn Tech, added, “It’s clear they’re pushing an ideology on kids. Many don’t want it or like it.” Students at the school, which is one of just nine specialized high schools in NYC, echoed this sentiment.
One said simply, “It’s very boring and repetitive.” Parents noted that many lessons concerning colonialism include perspectives solely from Palestinians, with no pro-Israel content included.
For instance, students are required to watch the Oscar-winning documentary “No Other Land,” which depicts the Israeli Defense Forces demolishing homes in a Palestinian settlement.
Jewish parents worry that such one-sided narratives may lead to radical sentiments against Israel and put their children at risk.
Although the parents approached school administrators with their concerns, they felt their issues were ignored.
Brooklyn Tech’s Vice Principal, Jess Rose Bonilla, responded in an email, stating that educators must recognize the diverse backgrounds in their classrooms and refrain from sharing personal political views with students.
This week, she mentioned that the aforementioned film “likely wouldn’t be shown,” according to a source who spoke with the newspaper.
A spokesperson for the Department of Education stated they had not received complaints specifically about gender content at this school, but acknowledged that principal had been working with concerned parents to address other issues.
One parent lamented, “That’s terrible. We met with the principal, and he was disengaged. He claimed not to know what we were discussing… It feels like our concerns don’t matter.” Both Whitman and Bonilla did not respond to requests for comments.
