Trump Administration Investigates NYC Schools over Pro-Palestinian Teachers Accused of Fostering Hatred toward Jewish Students

New York City Public Schools face a federal investigation from the Trump administration over claims that pro-Palestinian teachers tried to instill hatred toward Jewish students in classrooms.

The Education Department's Office for Civil Rights opened the probe into the nation's largest public school system nearly two weeks ago. It followed reports that teachers organized seminars supporting Palestinian resistance and describing Zionists as "genocidal white supremacists."

"No child should be taught by his or her teachers to hate their peers. Neither should Jewish children be taught that being Jewish somehow makes them inherently guilty or proponents of hate and violence," Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Kimberly Richey said in a statement. "Discrimination has no place in our schools, and, unlike the previous Administration, the Trump Administration will not turn a blind eye to antisemitic harassment."

The investigation arrives as New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani marks his fifth month in office. Mamdani has drawn criticism for anti-Israel comments, including accusations that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu committed war crimes and claims that Palestinians face genocide by the Jewish state. He revoked an executive order barring city officials from boycotting or divesting in Israel, along with another that broadened the definition of antisemitism.

Fox News Digital contacted Mamdani's office.

At issue is NYC Educators for Palestine. The group's mission calls education "a tool for liberation not occupation" and urges teachers to pursue Palestinian justice inside and outside classrooms.

The Education Department flagged the group's seminars on "Palestinian, Zionism, and Resistance" as a possible Title VI violation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Aimed at children as young as five, the sessions covered contemporary and historical Palestinian resistance. Complaints said they portrayed Zionists as "genocidal white supremacists" and backed Hamas and its "martyrs."

NYC Educators for Palestine also planned a "Teach-In for Palestine" on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, promoted to students as young as six.

Fox News Digital sought comment from NYC Educators for Palestine.

A New York City Public Schools spokesperson denied any link to the group. "The group referenced is not connected to New York City Public Schools," the spokesperson said.

One parent told Fox News the teachers appeared "so radicalized and so focused on sending messages like this [pro-Palestine] rather than focusing on really crucial skills like literacy and critical thinking."

This probe marks the latest Trump administration scrutiny of antisemitism allegations in public schools since the Gaza War. Last August, it launched an investigation into Baltimore City Public Schools for antisemitic harassment; that review continues.

More than 60 colleges and universities have received notices of investigations for failing to address campus antisemitism.