The chancellor of New York City Public Schools told lawmakers at the Capitol on Wednesday that there have been 281 anti-Semitic and Islamophobic incidents at the school since Hamas began its attack on Israel on October 7. However, he said that one incident bothers him the most.
David Banks was admitted to the Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education Subcommittee during a hearing titled “Confronting Anti-Semitism in K-12 Schools.”
“Since October 7, there have been 281 incidents. Approximately 42% were anti-Semitic and 30% Islamophobic,” Banks said. “We take each one of them very seriously. We will investigate and initiate the appropriate level of action.”
But in an exchange with Rep. Elise Stefanik (RN.Y.), Banks admitted that the allegations surrounding the conduct at Brooklyn’s Origins High School were the most “troubling.”
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New York City Public Schools Chancellor David Banks spoke Wednesday at a hearing on anti-Semitism in America’s schools at the Capitol in Washington, D.C. (Fox News)
“In October, 40 to 50 students marched through Origins High School shouting ‘Death to Israel’ and ‘Kill the Jews,'” Stefanik said.
“Furthermore, an independent investigation has revealed that a world history teacher was told by a student, “I wish you had been killed.” Another student called her a “dirty Jew.” called. And her student said she wished Hitler had hit more Jews, including her.” She asked, “What disciplinary action was taken against the students who chanted ‘Death to Israel’ at Origins High School and those who harassed them with anti-Semitic slurs?”
Banks responded, “After conducting an investigation, we found no evidence that there was any movement within the hall saying “Death to the Jews.”
“We investigated it and I treat it very seriously. It was reported in the newspapers. We found no evidence that it actually happened,” he added. “We discovered a number of very disturbing anti-Semitic incidents that occurred at Origins High School. This is one of the incidents that bothered me the most, Congressman, and I will tell you that.”
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Fox News Digital obtained a photo of the pro-Hamas slogan “Liberate Palestine. From the Rivers to the Sea” scrawled on a teacher’s blackboard at Susan E. Wagner High School in New York City’s Staten Island borough. (Fox News Digital)
“In fact, we have suspended a number of students at that school. However, the matter is currently under litigation,” he added. “And we’ve been advised not to talk about the specific events that happened there.”
The hearing began with Rep. Aaron Bean, Republican of Florida, calling the very necessity a “travesty.”
“In the aftermath of October 7th, some of the ugliest and most deprived ideas that were once alienated from polite society were brought to light, and our education system failed to stop them. “It’s not only anti-Israel, it’s anti-American. It’s anti-democratic,” Bean said. “Our witnesses today represent one of the largest school districts in the country where vile anti-Semitism exists within the school district.”
Representative Elise Stefanik (RN.Y.) speaks on “Columbia in Crisis: Columbia University’s Response to Anti-Semitism” during a House Education and Labor Committee hearing on April 17 at the Capitol in Washington, D.C. ). (AP/Mariam Zuhaib)
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Banks also said at the hearing, “While we cannot say that we can prevent every incident from happening every time an issue comes to our attention, it is our role as leaders to ensure that the issue is brought to our attention.” “Once we get their attention, we make sure that we do it.” We are responding in an appropriate manner and that is what we are doing. ”
