(New York, NY — April, 2026) — StandWithUs and North American Values Institute (NAVI) welcome the U.S. Department of Education announcement that it has initiated an investigation of New York City Department of Education (“NYC DOE”) under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act in response to multiple allegations that NYC DOE’s Jewish and Israeli students and staff members were being subjected to a hostile environment in violation of state and federal laws.
In a joint letter, sent January 19, 2026, StandWithUs Saidoff Law and NAVI noted that NYC DOE teachers were planning an event that implicated multiple federal, state, city and local rules. The event, entitled “Palestine Teach In,” was advertised by NYC DOE educators and outside organizations on social media to attract “kids ages 6-18” to participate in a day of free “food, community and age-conscious lessons on Palestinian history and culture as well as the origins of [Z]ionism delivered by trained educators and mental health professionals.”
StandWithUs Saidoff Law and NAVI’s joint letter noted that NYC DOE was required to enforce all applicable rules in reviewing the planned event, and urged NYC DOE leadership “to issue clear guidance reminding educators that, while they retain robust rights as private citizens, they must remain compliant with the multitude of relevant federal, state, city, and agency rules that protect all New York City students and their families.” The joint letter further specified that NYC DOE’s “teachers, like all educators, have the critical job of teaching students how to think, not what to think. As such, they must handle controversial issues with professional neutrality so as to ensure that they are not putting their thumb on the scale and unduly influencing students.”
StandWithUs Saidoff Law and NAVI remain available to work with NYC DOE to share our organizational expertise and resources related to identifying and responding to antisemitic bias, implementing robust content-neutral procedures that protect all students and staff members, and supporting Jewish and Israeli students during a national surge in antisemitism.
As always, StandWithUs Saidoff Law and NAVI are available to speak with any parents, students or staff members facing discrimination, harassment, or bias based on their actual or perceived Jewish identity. We are also available to provide professional development and educational programming about Jewish history, Jewish identity, and modern manifestations of antisemitism. Learn more at www.standwithus.com and www.navivalues.org and report antisemitic incidents at www.standwithus.com/report.
