An investigation has been launched into a disturbing incident of antisemitism at Hillcrest High School in New York City, according to an announcement by Mayor Eric Adams. The incident occurred when students at the high school in Queens allegedly rioted after discovering that a teacher had attended a pro-Israel rally. The incident forced the school to shut down for two hours and left the teacher hiding in a locked office while the students rampaged through the halls.

Mayor Adams expressed his outrage at the "vile show of antisemitism" and emphasized that such behavior would not be tolerated in any of the city's schools. He stated, "The vile show of antisemitism at Hillcrest High School was motivated by ignorance-fueled hatred, plain and simple, and it will not be tolerated in any of our schools, let alone anywhere else in our city." He further added, "We are better than this."

According to reports, the students had planned a protest after seeing a Facebook photo of the teacher holding a sign that read, "I stand with Israel." In their group chat, they discussed "starting a riot." On Monday morning, hundreds of teenagers stormed the hallways, waving Palestinian flags, chanting, and demanding the teacher's removal. Some of the incidents were captured on video and shared on TikTok.

The teacher, who has chosen to remain anonymous, has been a part of the city's school system for 23 years and has taught at Hillcrest for the past seven years. She expressed her deep distress at the calls for violence against her, both online and outside her classroom. She stated, "No one should ever feel unsafe at school - students and teachers alike."

In response to the incident, Adams announced that NYC Public Schools has initiated a full investigation into how the incident occurred. He also mentioned that Project Pivot teams would be reaching out to students at Hillcrest to ensure they understand why their behavior was unacceptable. Adams emphasized the importance of creating a safe learning environment, stating, "No student, teacher, or staff member should fear for their safety in our schools."

This incident of antisemitism comes amid a surge in hate crimes against American Jews following a deadly attack on Israel by Hamas terrorists on October 7. In New York City alone, the NYPD Hate Crime Task Force has investigated 69 anti-Jewish incidents in October, marking a 214% increase compared to the same period last year.

After order was restored, the teacher was safely escorted out of the building by the NYPD. She expressed the hope that meaningful discussions about challenging topics can take place with respect for different perspectives and shared humanity. She emphasized the need to view each other as individuals in order to create a safe learning community.