QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, November 30, 2023 Page 6
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Hillcrest HS protest sparks controversy Students riot after health teacher posts pro-Israel Facebook photo by Kristen Guglielmo Associate Editor
In the wake of the Israel-Hamas war and a rise in hateful rhetoric, parents and educators alike were shocked and outraged last week when videos surfaced of a raucous pro-Palestinian protest at Hillcrest High School in Jamaica. In footage of the Nov. 20 incident hundreds of students are seen crowding the hallways while chanting and waving Palestinian flags. According to multiple reports, the protest, which students said consisted of plenty of fights and riots, was preplanned by the teens in response to a Jewish health teacher’s Facebook profile photo, showing her at a pro-Israel rally while holding a sign that reads, “I stand with Israel.” Her identity has not been publicized. Students posted videos of the event on TikTok, spreading word of the rowdy happenings with captions reading, “When a protest brakes [sic] out because a teacher stands with Israel.” Another video showed a water fountain Schools Chancellor David Banks, at mic, held a press conference with students and officials at pulled out of a wall, surrounded by shattered Hillcrest High School on Nov. 27 to discuss last Monday’s protest. PHOTO BY KRISTEN GUGLIELMO tiles, with a caption saying the teacher had chosen to “wake up one day and choose sup- hatred, plain and simple, and it will not be tol- (D-Woodhaven). erated in any of our schools, let alone anyWhen the Chronicle contacted the United port against Zionism.” The protest culminated with 25 law where else in our city. We are better than Federation of Teachers with an interview request for its president, Michael Mulgrew, to enforcement officers arriving at the school at this.” One educator, a former substitute at Hill- speak on whether he planned to support the around 11:20 a.m., Principal Scott Milczewski told parents, and the school being placed in crest, told the Chronicle, “The students are teacher involved, the union said he was a “soft lockdown.” Initial reports said the misguided. They believe they’re doing the unavailable for an interview but supplied a teacher in question was rushed into an office right thing, they’re just going about it in the statement. “The UFT has been working with the indito hide with the door locked until law completely wrong way.” Asked to elaborate, the teacher, who vidual teacher, school safety, the DOE and the enforcement was able to safely escort her out r e q u e s t e d t o b e NYPD since last Monday,” it said. “The of the building. referred to as CL, union will continue to send staff to the buildFollowing the incisaid, “They like atten- ing and to work with the administration, DOE dent, repor ts said, And they like safety personnel, school safety and the NYPD Milczewski told pare are better than this.” tion. that this is reaching to restore and maintain a safe environment for ents, “There are 2,500 n a t i o n a l n e w s , faculty, students and staff.” students. Adults will — Mayor Eric Adams on the protest because they think it’s Banks, a Hillcrest alum, visited the school always be outnumat Hillcrest High School going to benefit anti- on Nov. 27 to speak with students and faculty bered. I think that’s war efforts. But they alongside Queens Borough President Donosomething we have to van Richards. He later held a press conference understand. And that’s why we’re asking you don’t realize it’s a bad look.” On Sunday evening, Councilwoman Vick- with Richards, Assemblyman David Weprin to speak to your children. We need your supie Paladino (R-Whitestone) posted on X a (D-Fresh Meadows) and two students from port with this.” The anonymous teacher shared a statement video an anonymous source sent to her office the school. “Violence, hate and disorder have no place with the New York Post, which read in part, of students at Hillcrest attacking a school “No one should ever feel unsafe at school, safety officer, a week prior to the protest in students and teachers alike. It’s my hope in what the Department of Education said was the days ahead we can find a way to have an unrelated incident. Paladino called for the school to be shut meaningful discussions about challenging topics with respect for each other’s diverse down and investigated. “... Order and disciAll are welcome to the fifth annual perspectives and shared humanity. Unless we pline must be restored. We’ve tried ‘progresOzone Park Christmas tree lighting on can learn to see each other as people we will sive’ educational theory for far too long, and Dec. 2 at 5 p.m. at Solid Rock Church, never be able to create a safe learning it’s gotten us absolutely nowhere. Our stulocated at 135-05 Cross Bay Blvd., hosted dents and our city deserve far better than community.” by Reverend DuWayne Pass. The event comes weeks after Mayor this.” The evening promises toys, hot cocoa, In response to a rise in anti-Semitism in Adams and Schools Chancellor David Banks treats and, of course, a visit from Santa released a joint statement denouncing hate schools, Queens politicians held a peaceful Claus himself, providing fun for the speech in schools in response to the conflict rally against anti-Semitism outside of the Diswhole family. sparked by Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel, trict 27 office in Ozone Park on Monday The lighting is brought to the commuand a Nov. 9 walkout organized by students morning. Among those in attendance were nity by the Ozone Park Residents Block Councilmembers Joann Ariola (R-Ozone around NYC, calling for a ceasefire. Association in collaboration with the Adams condemned the incident on X, for- Park), Lynn Schulman (D-Forest Hills) and Ozone Park Howard Beach Woodhaven merly Twitter, last weekend, writing, “The Paladino, Assemblymembers Sam Berger Lions Club, the Kiwanis Club of Ozone vile show of anti-Semitism at Hillcrest High (D-Flushing) and David Weprin (D-Fresh School was motivated by ignorance-fueled Meadows) and state Sen. Joe Addabbo Jr.
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in our schools,” Banks said. He told reporters the teacher “was targeted based on her support for Israel, expressed in a permissible way outside of school hours, and her Jewish identity, and that is completely unacceptable.” Though Banks said the teacher was never in direct danger, he said disciplinary action was taken against students responsible for “creating” the protest, and that some were suspended, but would not elaborate. “There are some people calling for us to just suspend 500 students,” Banks said. “We are not doing that.” He clarified the teacher was on a different floor during the protest, and was not escorted into a locked room, as initial reports said. Additionally, Banks said the school was placed on lockdown two days after last Monday’s protest when a student said protests would happen again if the teacher wasn’t fired, but the situation did not escalate. He called spreading the notion that the students are radicalized and anti-Semitic the “height of irresponsibility” and condemned those who did so, saying the media poured “gasoline on a situation.” He said students were hurt by those insinuations. The students told reporters that the protest was planned to be peaceful, and that other students joined in, not knowing the purpose. “Some of these students lack maturity. These are teenagers,” said Muhammad Ghazali, Hillcrest’s senior class president. The school has a 30 percent Muslim student body, according to Banks, and he said that because teens consume news via social media, they often see Palestinian people suffering and wanted to show support. “We wanted Palestine to be free,” said student Khadija Ahmed at the press conference. “But the message got lost.” A student told the Chronicle, “A lot of people were joining just because they could. It was a chance to go crazy in school and not get caught.” The teacher in question is expected to return next week, according to Banks, who is planning a Zoom session with all city school principals next week to discuss methods of addressing the situation in the Middle East. Q
Ozone Park tree lighting, 12/2 Park-Woodhaven, Our Neighbors Civic Association of Ozone Park, Solid Rock Church and the Tibbal family. Dozens of South Queens businesses are also sponsors; a full list is available on the Ozone Park Residents Block Association Facebook page. According to the block association, the tree itself was paid for by Sen. Joe Addabbo Jr. (D-Woodhaven) and Assemblymembers St acey Pheffer A mato (D-Rockaway Park) and Jenifer RajkuQ mar (D-Woodhaven). — Kristen Guglielmo
