Nicole Neily President | Parents Defending Education
Nicole Neily, president and founder of Defending Education, delivered testimony before the U.S. House Education and Workforce Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education on October 9, 2025. The hearing focused on antisemitism in K-12 schools.
Neily stated that while universities have received much attention regarding incidents following October 7th, similar issues are present in K-12 education. She emphasized that discrimination based on national origin or shared ancestry is unacceptable, especially when directed at minors.
“Discrimination and harassment based on national origin or shared ancestry is never acceptable – but when directed at minor children with a limited ability to defend themselves, such behavior is particularly vile,” Neily said. “Yet frighteningly, our country’s learners are now being taught the world’s oldest hatred – by the very people who parents have entrusted to shape the minds of their loved ones.”
Neily asserted that teachers today act as activists and noted that many education programs instruct teachers to view society through an oppressor-oppressed framework. She argued this approach often labels groups such as Jews and Asians as "oppressors," encourages political activism in teaching, and results in children being influenced by these perspectives.
“In most states, aspiring teachers must obtain credentials through education schools before entering the classroom. However, many of America’s schools of education now instruct teachers to view the world through an oppressor-oppressed matrix in which inconvenient minorities like Jews and Asians are categorized as ‘oppressors,’ that ‘teaching is a political act,’ and that the job is to ‘cultivate social justice activists and change agents.’ Universities’ penchant for considering activism in faculty hiring decisions has only worsened this situation. It’s little wonder that our country’s children are being used as foot soldiers to avenge perceived historical injustices,” she said.
She also addressed the role of unions in promoting anti-Israel sentiment among educators: “Activists have spent the last decade infiltrating the nation’s two largest teachers’ unions to enlist them in the fight against Israel – an effort that has yielded significant dividends. Unions have functioned as a superhighway to disseminate Jew-hatred for years, with support for anti-Israel/pro-Palestinian resolutions coordinated through special interest caucuses like the NEA’s ‘Educators for Palestine’ and ‘AFT4Palestine.’ In July, NEA members voted to sever ties with the Anti-Defamation League at their annual meeting, only walking back the vote following widespread public outcry.”
Neily cited examples from Los Angeles, San Francisco, Massachusetts, and Oakland where local unions supported Boycott Divestment Sanctions (BDS) resolutions or held events critical of Israel.
She described how activist networks outside of schools reinforce classroom antisemitism by partnering with districts or providing educational materials supporting pro-Palestinian positions. Groups such as AROC have formal agreements with school districts to conduct workshops focusing on cultural empowerment. Other organizations provide lesson plans for use during school hours.
According to Neily: “Classroom antisemitism is reinforced by outside activist networks like the Arab Resource Organizing Center (AROC), which currently has a Memorandum of Understanding with San Francisco Unified School District to provide ‘workshops in classrooms’ focused on ‘cultural empowerment.’ AROC has been a regular participant in disruptive pro-Palestine protests over the last few years... In addition, groups like BLM at School and the Middle Eastern Children’s Alliance provide teachers with lessons and activities that can be incorporated into the school day.”
She alleged some teachers use their authority to promote biased narratives about Israel or pressure student media coverage regarding conflicts involving Israel and Palestine.
“In classrooms, an alarming number of teachers have exploited their authority over students to teach a one-sided version of the conflict to captive audiences of minors, demonize Israel, and pressure student newspapers to alter coverage of the war. Still others have tried to influence coworkers...” Neily stated.
Neily criticized what she called administrative malaise when addressing anti-Jewish incidents compared with responses after other high-profile events. She gave examples where swastikas were dismissed as religious symbols or where pro-Palestinian walkouts were tolerated by administrators while other forms of protest would not be allowed.
“Sadly, anti-Jewish incidents haven’t been adjudicated with the same determination as similar acts committed against other ethnic groups – sending a clear message to students and families that not all individuals are valued equally,” she said.
Neily concluded her testimony by urging action: “K-12 antisemitism is now a self-perpetuating ecosystem – and pupils are paying the price. Although it won’t be easy to address this problem, identifying the root causes and vectors is a critical first step – because American children deserve an education free from bias, and Jewish students deserve an education free from harassment so severe, pervasive, and objectively offensive that it interferes with their learning.”
The issue comes amid increased scrutiny nationwide over how topics related to Israel and Palestine are presented within both higher education institutions and K-12 environments. Teachers' unions across several states have recently debated or passed resolutions related to Middle East conflicts including support for BDS measures.
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