A Brooklyn parent advisory board promoted and organized a student walkout for Palestinians this week — a clear violation of state regulations, outraged critics told The Post.
The Community Education Council for District 14, which covers ultra-liberal Williamsburg and Greenpoint, used its platform to encourage the 700-student protest involving 100 schools — and even shared resources including antisemitic signs proclaiming, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.”
Recommended chants included, “Resistance is justified when people are occupied” and “Say it loud, say it clear, we don’t want Zionists here!”
Students protesting on Thursday near Franklin Delano Roosevelt High School in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, were captured on video yelling, “F–k the Jews!”
Jewish students were horrified.
One Fort Hamilton High School mom said her daughter didn’t go to school Friday out of fear.
When the mom called the school, an administrator told her it’s “complicated.”
“I know firsthand what antisemitism is but I never in my life thought my daughter would have to go through something like this,” the mom said.
The parent involvement was slammed as antisemitic, “hate-filled” and a transgression of the board’s responsibilities, which do give them the power to influence educational priorities, evaluate superintendents, advise the Chancellor and Panel for Educational Policy, and serve as district liaisons.
“It’s crazy that they’re allowed to do this,” said one District 14 elementary school mom, who requested anonymity out of fear of retaliation. “You can have your personal opinions but when you’re on a school board, it’s completely inappropriate to publicize them.”
Elected officials also slammed the board — and demanded an investigation.
Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato in Queens demanded to know how much public funding was spent on the rally.
She slammed CEC 14 president Tajh Sutton for using her position “to display her biases on a politically charged issue, promote antisemitism and violate New York City Public School rules.”
Bronx City Councilman Eric Dinowitz bashed the CEC on Facebook for using its official government email to send out a blast calling for the walkout.
The chancellor’s regulations state that council members can not use email lists, websites, social media accounts, or other platforms that they have access to through their positions “for their own personal benefit or private gain.”
Another regulation states that the Conflicts of Interest Law applies to members of community education councils.
It prohibits “engaging in any private business, transaction, or professional or political activity during the hours they are scheduled to work for the New York City Department of Education.”
Sutton, who goes by School Board Baddie on X, touts her role as CEC president on her personal website, along with her modeling portfolio and media appearances.
Her CEC shared fliers for the event on its Instagram page, writing, “We hope to see your young people, families and staff at the rally.”
It partnered with groups including the Palestinian Youth Movement, Teachers Unite, the New York Collective for Radical Educators, CUNY for Palestine, and the UFT’s Movement of Rank and File Educators caucus, according to fliers.
The coalition collaborated on an extensive “toolkit,” which offered talking points for dealing with the press, including misinformation like, “At least 900 have just been killed in the bombing of Al-Ahli hospital.”
US intelligence said between 100 and 300 died, and that the blast was caused by an errant Palestinian rocket, not an Israeli air strike as was initially reported.
CEC 14 hasn’t posted meeting recordings or minutes since April, despite the Open Meetings Law it is subject to, and sources say the decision to support the protest was based on an “internal agreement,” without a public forum and vote.
Elsewhere in the city, CECs have struggled to pass even symbolic resolutions condemning the attack on Israel, with members arguing against political statements that make people “uncomfortable.”
Nearly 1,500 parents signed onto a petition demanding that board members be removed for inflammatory posts and divisive rhetoric.
“Nobody can tell us who they answer to,” said the elementary school mom about CEC 14. “It blows my mind that nobody can do anything about it.”
Lisa Liss pulled her kids from District 14 public schools over concerns of antisemitism even before the war. “I almost want to thank them for finally showing everyone exactly what they are about and proving what I’ve been saying all this time.”
Schools Chancellor David Banks this week gave stern guidance to staff on “where the line lies between our responsibilities as public school district employees, and our personal lives and views.”
“As school district employees, and particularly during times like these, we should demonstrate through our actions and speech how to come together — rather than stoke division and bias,” he said.
Complaints made about council members are ultimately up to the chancellor.
The DOE and Sutton did not return messages seeking comment.
