Call for Investigation into Controversial School Performance
A group of three City Council members in New York City is urging for both federal and local inquiries into an incident at an Upper West Side school. The controversy erupted when fifth-graders staged a performance that involved mimicking being shot by police.
“This is outrageous, but not shocking. It’s not surprising to see public schools used for political agendas like this. It feels like yet another low point,” stated Republican City Councilwoman Vicki Palladino in response to the Post’s report about the event at PS075 Emily Dickinson School.
Palladino has called on the federal Department of Education and the Department of Justice to look into the practices within New York City schools. However, neither agency has responded to inquiries regarding this matter.
The students were performing to “Glory,” a song by John Legend and rapper Common. The lyrics touch on the riots that occurred in Ferguson, Missouri, following the police shooting of black teenager Michael Brown by a white officer, Darren Wilson, during an alleged confrontation over a firearm.
During the performance, the students dramatically fell to the ground together while singing, “So we walk through Ferguson with our hands up / When the weather gets bad, women and men walk with their heads held high / They say, ‘Stand down,’ and we stand up / Gunshots, we’re on the ground, the camera pans up.”
Democratic City Councilman Phil Wong of Queens and Republican Frank Morano from Staten Island joined Palladino in calling for an examination of political messaging in education, specifically in light of this event.
Wong remarked, “The City Council Education Committee must investigate how political themes are disrupting classrooms. Messages like these can only damage the respect our officers deserve.”
Morano added, “Classrooms should focus on essential skills like reading and writing, not serve as venues for political expressions. Encouraging children to act out being shot is irresponsible and repugnant.”
Patrick Hendry, president of the Police Benevolent Association, which represents over 21,000 NYPD officers, asserted that the school is teaching children to harbor resentment against law enforcement.
“It’s disheartening to think these kids may one day need police assistance, yet they might hold back due to fear and animosity. This anti-police indoctrination is making our communities less safe,” Hendry expressed.
Meanwhile, angry parents at the school are demanding accountability, highlighting that this isn’t the first instance of educators pushing far-left ideologies in their classrooms.
One concerned parent shared, “I worry about how this affects my daughter, who returned home feeling guilty about her race and adopting negative views toward ICE and Trump, even though those topics weren’t discussed at home.”
