EXTREMISMReport Finds Widespread Antisemitism in U.S. Teachers Unions
A new report documents alarming levels of anti-Jewish conduct, hostile rhetoric, and institutional failure that Jewish K-12 employees have experienced in teachers unions across the country.The report exposes a systemic pattern of exclusion that is driving Jewish educators to self-censor and many fear backlash for vocalizing concerns.
ADL (the Anti-Defamation League) today released a new report, “Antisemitism in U.S. Teachers Unions,” documenting alarming levels of anti-Jewish conduct, hostile rhetoric and institutional failure that Jewish K-12 employees have experienced in teachers unions across the country. Based on a mixed-methods study combining focus groups and a survey of 307 Jewish members of U.S. teachers unions, the report exposes a systemic pattern of exclusion that is driving Jewish educators to self-censor and many fear backlash for vocalizing concerns.
The findings arrive as antisemitism in the United States has reached historic levels in the past three years. Jewish educators often described their professional union environments as fundamentally altered since the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel.
“Teachers unions were built on the promise of solidarity, fairness and dignity for every worker. This report makes clear that this promise is being broken for Jewish educators across the country,” said Jonathan Greenblatt, ADL CEO and National Director. “What we found is not the work of a few bad actors. It is a structural and cultural failure. Jewish educators deserve to feel safe and protected in their union spaces. And instead of that, they are self-censoring and fearing backlash for raising concerns. This is consistent with other findings and shows a dangerous trend of institutionalized antisemitism that simply cannot continue.”
Key Findings:
● Jewish members are self-censoring at alarming rates. 70 percent of respondents somewhat or strongly agreed that vocalizing concerns about the treatment of Jews in union spaces could lead to reputational or professional consequences. Nearly three quarters (73.6 percent) said they feel a need to self-censor in teachers union spaces, and nearly half (47.6 percent) said they have reduced their participation in union activities as a result of their use of harmful rhetoric or behavior targeting Jews, Zionists/Zionism or Israel.
● Anti-Jewish, anti-Zionist and anti-Israel conduct is pervasive. More than 70 percent of surveyed Jewish union members somewhat or strongly agreed that statements about the Israel-Hamas war that fail to condemn Hamas or the October 7 atrocities are a problem in their union. 68 percent said calls to cut ties with mainstream Jewish organizations are a problem.
