Glen Cove, NY - Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center (HMTC) condemns the actions of the NYC DOE, specifically, those responsible for its response to the Hillcrest High School riot where a Jewish teacher was doxed, demanded to be fired, and attacked. This was all the result of this teacher simply posting on her personal social media account, that she, as a Jew, was "Standing with Israel."

The behavior and demeanor of DOE Chancellor Banks at the press conference regarding the Hillcrest riot plainly showed that the school 1) Failed in its educational responsibilities to its student body; 2) Did not properly discipline the school perpetrators for the attack; 3) Created a hostile work environment for a teacher who had to hide and be given police protection in the school while students were attempting to physically attack her; 4) disputed the teachers account and criticized the publication of the event by the press and its reporting rather than apologize for what occurred; 5) Excluded Jews from speaking during his press conference addressing the situation; 6) Excused his students’ violent and destructive actions, stating that it was essentially not their fault because they get their education from social media apps like TikTok, while never even considering that his school bore responsibility for that reality.

Mr. Banks’ assertions belie a failure to acknowledge that what occurred at Hillcrest was horrific and a teachable moment. He is instead letting it pass. Worse, he put students in a terrible position that revealed the depth of the problem. The students had apparently no education as to why the attack on the teacher was wrong.

He further publicly put students in a no-win situation at his press conference. One student involved, Muhammad Ghazali, blamed the chaos on a “lack of maturity” and people who “made it into a fun event.” But for the victim, it in fact was not fun.

It was total anarchy, forcing a Jewish teacher to hide behind a closed door in order to save her own life. At one point, the teacher was moved to another location to keep her protected. Imagine how it must have felt to have been that teacher, fearing for her safety and her life. Imagine how it felt to be a Jewish student at Hillcrest. Mr. Ghazali does not make any specific references to the Jewish teacher. Mr. Ghazali admitted that property was destroyed and that people in the community were “hurt” during the riot. Though he stated that it was a protest, it wasn’t. It was a terrifying mob. Rather than apologizing for the actions of the students, Mr. Ghazali defended their right to protest. Threatening physical violence against a teacher is not protest. Unfortunately, Hillcrest never explained any of this to Mr. Ghazali. The blame for his callous statements should not be on him but the school that didn't properly equip him to deal with the situation.

Khadija Ahmed, another student, also spoke at the press conference. She stated, “I personally do not know everything that happened between Palestine and Israel but I’m looking forward to learning more about this very important issue.” She states that classrooms should invite honest conversations. She is not wrong. The DOE has failed to educate her or any other student on the actual history of the Middle East. Maybe if that education existed, there would not have been a riot.

For fair representation, it is of note that not a single Jewish voice was represented at the press conference. No one apologized to the teacher, the non-participating students, or any other member of the faculty or staff of Hillcrest. Not a single “I’m sorry” was uttered. This further illustrates the need for education reform.

Now is the perfect time to correct this dereliction of responsibility. We offer to partner with the NYC Department of Education and any other system in helping to provide reliable sources and present knowledgeable speakers. Our school system is failing our students, and by extension, our entire community. Severe rehabilitation of the system is in desperate need. Both Ms. Ahmed's and Mr. Ghazali’s comments revealed an utter lack of understanding of the magnitude of the student body's actions. Change is required to prevent it from happening again.