Congress grills liberal cities' school districts over antisemitism

New York Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik tussled with David Banks, chancellor of the New York City Public Schools, after learning that a principal was disciplined — but not fired — after alleged incidents of antisemitism took place at his school.

Stefanik, citing local media reports, said the principal of Hillcrest High School in Queens was given a senior position, working on a team led by the school district’s deputy chancellor.

Banks said he could not confirm the former principal’s current role, but he acknowledged the principal was removed from his job but reassigned elsewhere in the district.

Stefanik also grilled Banks on allegations that students marched in the hallway of Origins High School in Brooklyn chanting “death to Jews.” Banks said an investigation showed no evidence that was chanted in the halls, although he noted what the probe revealed was “deeply troubling,” and a number of students at the school were suspended.

Banks said he couldn’t provide details of what happened at Origins, because the incident was under litigation.

He also noted a principal at another school was disciplined after assigning a teacher to go with a student to an anti-Israel protest. Banks called that action “completely inappropriate” and said both the principal and teacher were disciplined, but not fired.