David C. Banks, Chancellor of New York City Public Schools, held a press briefing on Monday after a Jewish teacher in Queens was threatened by students.
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00:00 as vice president.
00:01 And I remember that day like it was yesterday.
00:04 And I have a source of pride that
00:06 comes from the halls of Hillcrest High School.
00:12 Both of my brothers and I, we all graduated.
00:15 We're all Hillcrest Braves.
00:16 And this place means a lot to me personally.
00:21 I just finished an afternoon of speaking
00:23 to both the students and staff of this school, both of which
00:26 have been in the media over the last several days.
00:29 My message was simple.
00:31 We are unequivocal.
00:33 Violence, hate, and disorder have no place in our schools.
00:37 Antisemitism, Islamophobia, and all forms of bigotry
00:40 are simply unacceptable.
00:42 And we are committed to maintaining
00:43 a safe and supportive environment for every student
00:47 and staff member.
00:48 But I didn't come here just to tell them that.
00:51 I came here today to listen.
00:54 And right here in this room, we spent a good chunk of time
00:58 early afternoon with dozens of students, just hearing
01:03 from them.
01:05 And that's very, very important when
01:07 you're dealing with students.
01:08 As adults, that you don't just come in
01:10 with all of your judgments.
01:11 And the kids feel like you don't even know them,
01:14 and you haven't even heard from them.
01:15 So that was very important to me.
01:17 I was a principal for 11 years.
01:19 And I know what it means to be respectful to kids
01:21 so that they build a trusting relationship with you.
01:24 So you have to listen.
01:26 And I did the same thing just now with our staff.
01:28 Sorry to be running a few minutes behind.
01:30 But we were engaged in some very emotional conversation
01:35 with both groups.
01:37 But suffice to say, as Mayor Adams has noted, well,
01:40 we in New York City cannot solve the crisis in the Middle East.
01:44 We can and we must address acts of hate in our own city,
01:49 wherever it arises.
01:51 So in this case, a teacher at Hillcrest High School
01:53 was targeted based on her support for Israel,
01:57 expressed in a permissible way outside of school hours
02:01 and her Jewish identity.
02:04 And that is completely unacceptable
02:06 that she would be targeted for that.
02:09 And I said that to the students as well as to the staff
02:12 here today.
02:14 In fact, we have zero tolerance for baseless hatred
02:17 against any group, which we also made it clear in an all staff
02:20 communication last month, condemning
02:23 the horrific murder of a Palestinian American
02:26 six-year-old in Illinois.
02:29 The first thing that I want to do today
02:31 is to clarify some of the facts here.
02:34 The students and staff of Hillcrest
02:35 deserve the facts to be laid out truthfully.
02:39 There have been many rumors and misinformation circulated.
02:43 So let me start by laying out the facts of what occurred last
02:45 week.
02:47 On Monday, last Monday, a week ago today, the 20th,
02:50 the safety of multiple of our staff and students
02:53 were put at risk after approximately 400 students
02:56 acted disruptively during class-changing time,
03:00 roving the school and calling for the removal
03:03 of a Jewish educator.
03:06 We immediately moved the educator to safety
03:09 and swiftly took steps to make the school calm.
03:13 So let's be clear.
03:14 At a school of approximately 2,500 students,
03:19 the majority of students peacefully
03:21 transitioned to class and did not
03:24 participate in any negativity.
03:27 This was due in part to the staff, the school safety
03:30 agents, and the students who made the right decision
03:33 to remain calm.
03:35 On Tuesday, the 21st, the school was calm and peaceful.
03:40 On Wednesday, the 22nd, a student
03:43 warned the principal that the protest would continue
03:46 as long as the teacher remained employed at the school.
03:49 And the next protest was planned for fifth period.
03:52 This was on Wednesday.
03:54 Because of this advance notice, the school
03:57 was able to deploy school safety agents
04:00 and put the school under lockdown.
04:02 The lockdown was eventually transitioned into a hold.
04:08 Everyone in the building was safe and calm,
04:10 and the hold was lifted.
04:13 So we are addressing these events head on
04:15 with those involved and are also engaged
04:18 in a whole school response to promote
04:21 dialogue and understanding.
04:24 Specifically, we will be leveraging
04:26 an external partner and a variety of other resources
04:29 to support a school environment that is inclusive and safe,
04:34 one where a situation like this doesn't happen again.
04:39 We're also proud of our students who bravely spoke up
04:42 and alerted school leadership about the planned protest
04:45 later in the week so that we could take immediate action
04:49 to protect all students and staff.
04:53 In terms of student discipline, all students
04:57 are expected to follow our citywide behavioral expectations
05:01 to support student learning, which also includes
05:04 our discipline code, and other citywide and school-specific
05:07 rules and policies.
05:10 When students violate these rules and policies,
05:13 they are subject to discipline which
05:14 must be consistent with relevant laws, chancellor's regulations,
05:19 and our discipline code.
05:21 Due to privacy and confidentiality laws,
05:24 we cannot comment on discipline for individual students.
05:29 However, please know that our approach to discipline
05:32 is both swift and fair, ensuring the safety of our school
05:36 community.
05:37 We work closely with our school leaders and the NYPD
05:40 to ensure that our response is appropriate and effective.
05:45 I also want to clarify the misinformation circulating
05:48 online about this incident.
05:51 Contrary to reports, the November 20th incident
05:55 was promptly addressed and brought under control
05:58 through the leadership of the principal, school staff, school
06:02 safety agents, and the NYPD.
06:06 The teacher was not in direct danger.
06:09 I want to repeat that.
06:10 The teacher was never in direct danger.
06:14 The school took measures to ensure
06:16 that she was not on the same floor of the building
06:18 where the incident was taking place.
06:22 Regarding an entirely separate incident on November 15th,
06:26 completely unrelated to the Israel-Hamas war,
06:30 I can confirm that the school safety agent involved
06:33 was not assaulted.
06:34 So many of you saw a video that was released.
06:38 It was released that almost kind of suggested this was all
06:40 part of the same narrative.
06:42 It was not.
06:43 It's a completely separate incident that took place.
06:48 The school safety agent seen in that video
06:49 was separating two students and doing their job,
06:52 keeping students safe in a tense situation.
06:56 Violence of any kind is unacceptable in our schools.
07:00 So we're taking appropriate action
07:01 with the students involved.
07:03 But I also want to remind us all about the importance of using
07:06 and consuming social media in a mindful way.
07:10 This is an example of misinformation
07:13 being spread online and further amplifying
07:16 an already tense situation.
07:20 Also want to emphasize that New York City Public Schools
07:22 operates with transparency.
07:24 We do not hide or cover up facts.
07:28 Such allegations betray the trust
07:31 that parents and caregivers place in us
07:33 when they send their children to our schools.
07:36 And as someone who has served as a principal, a teacher,
07:39 and a school safety agent, and now in my role as chancellor,
07:44 I'm deeply offended by any suggestion
07:47 that we would be less than forthcoming.
07:50 Anyone who has even seen me in this role as chancellor
07:53 has known or should know that I am as transparent as it gets.
07:58 I engage.
07:59 I listen.
08:01 There's no hiding of any facts.
08:03 And I'm offended even by that suggestion.
08:06 Should also note that we have taken
08:08 a comprehensive and proactive approach
08:10 to addressing the Middle East crisis in our schools,
08:13 knowing how personal this situation is for many
08:16 of our students and staff.
08:19 First, we took a clear stand against hate.
08:22 On October 10, we released a statement
08:24 via our website and social media condemning the Hamas
08:28 terrorist attacks and expressing our deep condolences
08:31 to those impacted in our community.
08:34 Since then, we have sent numerous additional
08:38 communications to a variety of audiences,
08:41 all reiterating that hate has no home in New York City Public
08:44 Schools, and that we must work together
08:46 to create an environment that is safe, inclusive,
08:49 and supportive for all of our students and staff,
08:51 especially in moments like these.
08:55 We also put out a joint statement
08:57 with Mayor Adams standing against hateful rhetoric
08:59 in our schools.
09:01 Second, we have provided materials and resources
09:04 for use by school staff, students, and families,
09:08 ranging from reporting on current events
09:12 to explainers on the historical roots of anti-Semitism,
09:16 Islamophobia, and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
09:20 Additionally, we shared resources
09:24 on digital and media literacy, reiterated our policies
09:28 around civic engagement and political activity,
09:31 and offered office hours to staff who needed support
09:35 processing these events.
09:37 We have also leveraged Respect for All, our existing anti-hate
09:41 initiative.
09:43 Every principal is required to designate at least one staff
09:46 member to serve as a Respect for All liaison who
09:50 is trained to promote a safe environment in their school.
09:54 Families, students, or employees can
09:56 report bullying, harassment, or discrimination
10:00 to their liaison, administrators,
10:02 or other school staff.
10:04 And the schools must investigate and follow up immediately.
10:08 Schools were required to review policies and procedures
10:10 on bullying and harassment with both students and staff
10:14 by October 31.
10:17 And finally, we've collaborated with expert partners,
10:19 both internally and externally, to discuss resources,
10:22 create materials, and provide support to our schools.
10:27 These partners include the New York City Council Jewish
10:29 Caucus, the New York City Commission on Human Rights,
10:34 the Office for the Prevention of Hate Crimes,
10:37 nonprofit organizations such as the ADL,
10:40 and Facing History and Ourselves.
10:43 I'm meeting with both Jewish and Muslim community leaders
10:46 as well.
10:48 These are challenging times for our country, our city,
10:52 our communities, and our students and staff.
10:56 But I deeply believe that our diversity is our greatest
10:58 strength and that we must leverage that strength
11:02 to ensure that our schools are sanctuaries
11:05 of learning and growth.
11:08 So today, I'm calling on all students and staff
11:10 to recommit to this promise.
11:13 I'm reminded of the words of Dr. King, who
11:16 envisioned a world where disagreements were met
11:18 with dialogue and debate, not chaos or violence.
11:23 He once said that the function of education,
11:25 therefore, is to teach one to think intensively
11:28 and to think critically.
11:30 We must remember that intelligence is not enough.
11:34 Intelligence plus character, that that
11:36 is the goal of a true education.
11:39 So I ask our staff to remember the words of Dr. King
11:41 and to be inspired to use recent events as teachable moments.
11:46 I ask our students to be reminded that Dr. King always
11:49 encouraged peaceful protests and that he stood resolutely
11:53 against hate.
11:55 And I want to reassure you that the safety and well-being
11:58 of our students and staff remains our top priority.
12:02 We'll continue to take decisive action
12:04 to maintain a safe and nurturing environment in all
12:07 of our schools.
12:09 So at this time, we have a couple of students
12:11 that I'm going to introduce in just a moment.
12:13 But before I do that, we want to hear from our borough
12:16 president, who has spent the better chunk of the day
12:18 here with me.
12:19 He was in this library with the students who
12:21 were here in very powerful conversation
12:24 that we had with our students.
12:26 And then he also joined me for a full-on conversation
12:29 with the over 200 staff members here at Hillcrest High School.
12:33 It's been a real eye-opener for all of us.
12:36 With that, borough president.
12:39 Thank you, Chancellor.
12:41 And let me start by saying that he's a graduate.
12:44 And I'm a smart man, because I married
12:46 a woman who graduated from this high school, too.
12:50 So I'm doing all right.
12:52 But let me just also add that there's
12:57 a reason why what's happening outside these doors
13:02 is impacting what's happening in the school community.
13:05 And we often talk about the diversity in Queens.
13:08 190 countries, 360 languages and dialects spoken here.
13:12 We are the world's borough for a reason.
13:17 I just got, as I discussed with the students,
13:20 I just got back from the Gaza border two weeks ago.
13:25 I visited a kibbutz where people were impacted.
13:28 And the overwhelming message, whether you
13:30 were Jewish or Palestinian, while I was in Israel,
13:35 was that we want peace for all sides.
13:40 And that message somehow is being lost in our city.
13:43 We're being pushed to choose.
13:45 You choose this side, or you choose this side.
13:49 One of the most powerful moments today
13:52 was hearing this young brother talk, Muhammad,
13:55 president of the school government body,
14:00 who said that this Jewish teacher must return and be
14:04 safe in this environment.
14:08 We could not simply allow this entire school body
14:12 to be demonized.
14:13 I went to school next door here to PS 86, by the way.
14:17 This is a very diverse community, diverse opinions.
14:21 But the bottom line is we have to be
14:22 careful in the way we talk about our children as well.
14:27 To speak about every child living in the school
14:30 as if they're anti-Semitic is simply wrong.
14:33 And I would urge those who would say,
14:35 come and close this building down to show up to the school
14:38 and talk to the very diverse set of students
14:40 we spoke to who had a diverse set of opinions as well.
14:44 And the message we sent to these students
14:46 is it's OK to protest.
14:48 Nobody is against protests.
14:50 That's part of the foundation of this country.
14:52 It's why that flag hangs back here.
14:54 It's why we're a democracy.
14:56 But it's not what you say, it's how you do it
15:00 and how you say it.
15:01 So violence could never be, never, ever be tolerated.
15:04 And let me also add that there's not simply just one
15:08 Jewish teacher in this building.
15:09 There are more Jewish teachers in this building.
15:12 There are Muslim teachers in this building.
15:14 And we want to make sure that all of them
15:16 feel safe within this body.
15:19 So we have a lot of work to do, a lot of work cut out.
15:23 I feel this on the front of my door
15:26 every single day as the borough president,
15:28 every single day, this issue, this subject,
15:31 this war comes up.
15:32 But I know what Queens is representative of.
15:35 I know who we are.
15:37 I know who we are as a borough.
15:39 We've done a lot of this work.
15:41 And we can't allow this war to cripple the momentum
15:44 that we had.
15:45 We can't allow it to all of a sudden,
15:49 to allow individuals to take that veil off of hate.
15:54 So we have a lot of work to do, I recall.
15:56 And I will say once again to the students here, we love you.
15:59 We see you.
16:01 We want you to be able to express yourselves freely,
16:04 but do it in a peaceful manner.
16:07 And I will end with that.
16:08 I want to thank you, Chancellor.
16:09 I was on the phone with the chancellor about 11:30
16:12 last night.
16:13 I'm like, who was calling me at 11:30?
16:15 But I want you to know that we are
16:18 committed, along with my colleagues,
16:20 in making sure that Hillcrest--
16:22 we're not going to allow these two issues to define
16:25 who this school is, because it's wrong.
16:28 I was here at Jamaica High causing trouble over here,
16:31 just being honest.
16:32 It's a much different school body
16:33 than it was back in the '90s.
16:36 So let's not get it twisted.
16:37 Thank you all.
16:38 Thank you.
16:39 Look forward to the work ahead.
16:39 Thank you so much.
16:40 Thank you so much, Mr. Borough President.
16:42 I'm thrilled to be joined here today.
16:44 I also want to just acknowledge and thank Assemblyman Weprin
16:47 for being here with us, and to thank Henry Rubio, who
16:51 is the president of the CSA, our administrators, principals,
16:56 assistant principals union.
16:58 And he's been engaged with me in dialogue around this
17:00 from the very, very beginning.
17:02 Thank you for coming and spending the better part
17:03 of the day here as well.
17:04 I know you've got a lot to do as well,
17:07 but you saw fit to be here and being supportive.
17:09 Not just the principal and the administrative team here,
17:12 but this entire school community.
17:14 And I thank you very much for that.
17:16 And for my dear friend, Donnique Miller,
17:17 former city councilman, but more importantly than that,
17:21 just an integral member, particularly
17:23 of the Queens community.
17:26 He's been out here for a long time.
17:27 He does not have to be here today,
17:29 and yet he came here to participate
17:31 in these conversations and to just stand in solidarity
17:34 with us.
17:35 And I can't thank you enough.
17:37 Still call you councilman.
17:38 And I appreciate you, as well as our president, Scott Milczewski,
17:43 who has to rise to this moment on behalf of his school
17:48 community.
17:49 And he has been integral to the turnaround of Hillcrest High
17:55 School.
17:55 Hillcrest has had a lot of challenges over the years,
17:58 but we've seen great improvement over the last several years
18:01 under his leadership.
18:02 And we just want you to know that we are here to support you
18:05 and the teachers and the staff and the faculty here.
18:08 And we will meet this moment together, as well.
18:10 You're not out here by yourself.
18:13 But certainly, the highlight of the day for me
18:15 was being in this room earlier today
18:18 and hearing from these young people.
18:21 And I just want to tell you, as I get ready to introduce them,
18:29 the clarity of their voice, the passion, the emotion,
18:34 the feelings are why I'm in this space in education
18:40 in the first place.
18:41 I left here so immensely proud of these young people.
18:47 And I want to introduce two of the leaders here.
18:51 And I will start with the president of the senior class.
18:55 Is that the senior class or student government?
18:57 Of the senior class.
18:59 Which, that's OK.
19:01 I told him I was the vice president.
19:04 But I'm thrilled.
19:05 Muhammad-- is it Ghazali?
19:07 Ghazali, thank you so much.
19:09 Come on in.
19:09 Please share a word.
19:10 Thank you.
19:11 [APPLAUSE]
19:13 Sorry?
19:15 Muhammad, M-U-H-A-M-M-A-D. Ghazali, G-H-A-Z-A-L-I. Thank
19:22 you.
19:23 Thank you, everybody, for coming out today.
19:27 It is very deep.
19:30 It's very heartbreaking for me to be here
19:33 and to express my feelings here on what has happened
19:37 on Monday, November 20.
19:42 A lot of these students, they didn't
19:43 know what they were doing at the moment.
19:45 They didn't know what they were doing.
19:47 They didn't even want to be a part of this.
19:50 Not everybody in that brawl was a Muslim or was anti-Semitic.
19:56 Not everybody was there to be a part
20:00 of that protest or that riot.
20:04 It didn't turn out the way it should have been.
20:08 It was meant to be a peaceful protest
20:10 from the very beginning.
20:13 But some of these students lack maturity.
20:15 These are teenagers that we're here with.
20:17 We're in the same building.
20:20 I am in the same building with some of these teenagers.
20:23 They lack maturity.
20:25 And they were making this into a fun event, in a sense.
20:32 They didn't really think of it as a serious moment or a moment
20:37 to actually go out and protest.
20:39 They really did it for their personal enjoyment
20:42 and their personal pleasure.
20:44 And that's what really caused the problem.
20:46 School property was damaged.
20:49 Certain individuals, they were mentally hurt.
20:54 They were emotionally hurt because of this situation.
20:57 School safety, students, staff, the whole entire Hillcrest
21:01 community was hurt and broken because of this situation that
21:06 occurred on November 20.
21:09 I just want to clarify that this country was built on freedom.
21:17 The First Amendment gives us the right
21:19 to have our own religion, the religion that we
21:22 want to practice, freedom of gathering,
21:26 and freedom of speech.
21:30 These students have the right to go out there and protest.
21:35 But it's just the way they protested was wrong.
21:40 We don't ever stop anybody in the school community
21:42 to put their opinion out, whether it's a student,
21:47 it's a staff, anybody.
21:49 Hillcrest is about communication.
21:51 We are here to support each other.
21:55 And for us to be called terrorists
21:58 by certain news channels and by certain people,
22:04 they go out there and they call us certain names because
22:07 of what we did or because of the way things were--
22:11 because of the way things happened, it wasn't right.
22:15 It wasn't right.
22:16 And I disagree with whatever happened.
22:19 I am not taking any sides on this.
22:22 But I do--
22:23 I have come to the consensus that it was not--
22:27 it was not a majority of the kids.
22:29 Majority of the kids-- it was only a handful of kids
22:32 that started doing this.
22:36 It's OK to do it, but it's just the way you do it.
22:39 And you have to move on.
22:41 We're here to move on.
22:42 This is why we're here right now.
22:44 We're here to move on with this.
22:45 And we're here to make sure that nothing like this
22:48 ever happens again.
22:51 Thank you.
22:52 Thank you, guys.
22:53 Thank you.
22:53 [APPLAUSE]
22:55 Thank you, Mohamed.
22:59 And before we bring up our other student, who is amazing,
23:04 I think it's important for me, as I
23:07 sought to figure out what was going on here,
23:09 what triggered this?
23:11 Because I was very taken with, how could
23:13 something like this happen?
23:14 I was here three weeks ago.
23:16 We rededicated the gym in the name
23:19 of Ken Gershon, who passed recently.
23:21 He was the old basketball coach here for over 30 years
23:24 and baseball coach.
23:25 And he was here when I was here.
23:27 And all of my memories, my entire relationship
23:34 with this place has been nothing but good and wonderful.
23:36 And I praise the principal for maintaining a culture that
23:39 feels very much like when I was here.
23:40 And then all of a sudden, this happened.
23:43 And I was trying to figure it out.
23:45 And I'm watching people coming and condemning.
23:49 But that's not my nature.
23:50 My nature is to find out and to talk and to listen
23:53 and to hear first.
23:55 What happened?
23:56 What caused this?
23:58 And it's interesting.
24:00 And you may hear some of this from Khadijah
24:03 in terms of what triggered some of this from the students.
24:08 So with that, Khadijah, Ahmed, would you please come and share?
24:11 Thank you.
24:12 Hello, everybody.
24:13 Again, could you spell your name for us, please?
24:16 It's K-H-A-D-I-J-A-H-M-E-D. Good afternoon, everyone.
24:24 Good afternoon.
24:25 You can speak right into this.
24:27 Good afternoon, everyone.
24:28 I would just like to thank you guys for coming.
24:30 And I want to discuss what has happened within the past week.
24:35 And I would just like to say I believe
24:37 everyone is allowed to have their own values and beliefs.
24:40 The event that took over last week
24:42 was just a way of us to show how we feel about Palestine.
24:45 We never meant for the message to get lost.
24:46 We just want it to be heard.
24:48 I personally do not know everything
24:50 that had happened between Palestine and Israel.
24:53 But I'm looking forward to learning more
24:54 about this very important issue.
24:56 I believe that the classrooms with the teachers
24:58 should be a safe place where we can learn about this issue
25:01 and have honest conversations.
25:02 We had had the protest because something happened
25:17 in school with a teacher.
25:20 And the only reason that everything led to the protest
25:25 was because nobody really talked to a teacher
25:28 or a dean or the principal.
25:30 Everyone just really thought they
25:32 could make it a bigger problem and start the protest, which
25:36 led to people being in danger.
25:40 The message that we really wanted to get out there
25:42 was that we wanted Palestine to be free.
25:46 But the message got lost.
25:48 And lots of people were hurt mentally, like Mohamed said.
25:52 And our teacher is in danger.
25:55 And I do think that she should be able to come back.
25:59 That's all I have to say.
26:00 Thank you, Fadijah.
26:01 [APPLAUSE]
26:05 You know, it's a little--
26:06 it can be a little nerve wracking for young people
26:08 to come up and stand in front of cameras
26:10 and know that they're going to be on TV.
26:13 So that's never easy.
26:14 So I want to thank both of you for coming and sharing
26:17 on behalf of your classmates.
26:20 So let me, before we take questions,
26:22 just emphasize a couple other things.
26:24 What happened here?
26:26 The teacher in the school who is Jewish
26:30 had posted on her social media page her profile.
26:34 It wasn't a posting.
26:35 She just changed the picture on her Facebook profile,
26:41 holding a sign saying, I stand with Israel.
26:45 She had actually done this weeks before anything ever happened.
26:50 And some students happened to see it.
26:55 However, they were directed to see it or whatever.
26:58 They saw it.
26:58 They started to spread it amongst each other.
27:01 But even then, I said, well, she posted it.
27:04 You know, she's Jewish.
27:05 She said, I stand with Israel.
27:06 What's the big deal?
27:07 Why would that get kids so upset?
27:09 What we've come to realize in having a conversation
27:12 with the students is this.
27:16 The young people today, they're not watching,
27:19 with all due respect, New York One or NBC or ABC or CNN.
27:23 That's not what they watch.
27:25 They consume their information through social media,
27:30 specifically TikTok and others.
27:32 And what they are seeing on a daily basis
27:36 are children and young people in Palestine,
27:41 Palestinian families being blown up.
27:44 That's what they're seeing.
27:45 That's what they are consuming.
27:47 You have to remember the demographics
27:48 of this school in particular.
27:50 Over 30% of the students here are of Muslim faith.
27:55 They feel a kindred spirit with the folks
28:00 of the Palestinian community.
28:02 And because this is a very visceral and emotional issue
28:05 for them, and that is what they are seeing,
28:07 those images every single day, when they all of a sudden
28:12 saw this image of the teacher that says,
28:14 I stand with Israel, the students articulated to me,
28:18 they took that as a message that I'm
28:20 affirming whatever is happening to the Palestinian family
28:24 and community.
28:26 That made sense to me.
28:28 Prior to my arriving here, I could not
28:30 understand why kids would get so upset.
28:32 But they were equating the two.
28:36 So there's a lot of work that we have to do here.
28:38 I've spoken earlier also with our teacher, Miss Marder,
28:44 Karen Marder, who she knows she has
28:47 the full support of this chancellor, this mayor,
28:50 and this administration.
28:52 And we are not going to in any way
28:53 allow her to feel bullied out of her school.
28:57 And so we have taken disciplinary action
29:00 against some of the students who kind of started this.
29:04 But the dozens and dozens, if not hundreds,
29:07 of kids who were in the hallway during the passing period,
29:10 you have to remember what a place like this feels like.
29:13 There's 2,500 students that go to this school.
29:15 When the bell rings and everybody's in the hallway,
29:17 it can seem like mass chaos, just on a good day.
29:22 And so many of the students who were running and jumping
29:25 had no idea what was even going on.
29:28 They were doing what 14 and 15-year-olds do,
29:31 jumping in and yelling and screaming.
29:33 And when they were asked by the principal and members
29:35 of the administration, why were you participating,
29:37 they said, I don't even know.
29:38 I was just out there.
29:39 Everybody else was out there running around,
29:40 so I was out there running around too.
29:42 This notion that this place is a--
29:45 these kids are radicalized and anti-Semitic
29:48 is the height of irresponsibility,
29:51 the height of irresponsibility.
29:53 And I, for one, would not accept that at all.
29:56 In fact, the greatest concern that the students had here
29:58 today, as well as the staff, was that there's
30:02 a protest plan of people who are coming here on Thursday,
30:06 and staff fearing for their safety, as well as students.
30:11 Very concerned with people just making statements
30:15 who they said have never even been here.
30:16 They don't even know us.
30:18 But somehow or another, we have become the symbol of hate.
30:22 Look at these kids.
30:30 This is the ultimate teachable moment.
30:33 That's why I'm here today.
30:36 Not to cast aspersions or to cast judgment on our children,
30:41 but to make sure that we, as a school community,
30:45 live up to what we need to live up to.
30:48 Every teacher, Ms. Marder, or anyone else
30:51 needs to be affirmed in their humanity, their religion,
30:55 or their own personhood.
30:58 And I will make sure that that happens as the chancellor.
31:01 And I'm fully supported by the mayor
31:02 in making sure that that happens.
31:04 And it causes me some angst when I
31:08 see the media, or certain members of the media,
31:14 who seemingly will pour gasoline on a situation.
31:19 I say, do you really give a damn about these kids?
31:23 Do you care deeply enough about our schools, our families,
31:27 our communities, that you make these judgments before you even
31:31 ask the question?
31:33 And then have everybody else responding to that.
31:35 I came here today to listen.
31:39 And what I heard was very powerful
31:41 from these young people, as well as
31:43 the teachers and the staff.
31:44 There's a lot that is going on here.
31:47 But I would suggest that it is not
31:49 unlike what is happening in schools all across our city
31:51 and across this nation.
31:54 This is a very emotional issue.
31:56 People are scared to express their opinions.
31:59 They're also scared about how to share content in schools.
32:03 In spite of the guidelines that we have provided,
32:05 people are treading very lightly.
32:07 Because nobody wants to say anything
32:09 that will be deemed anti-Semitic or promoting
32:14 some level of Islamophobia.
32:16 So sometimes, when you're afraid,
32:19 you don't say anything at all.
32:20 And you don't even address it.
32:22 But what the kids are saying to us today,
32:25 we need you to address it.
32:27 We need you to create a forum for us
32:29 to have responsible conversation.
32:32 Otherwise, we're all just moving and just doing school,
32:35 as though these things that are happening around them
32:38 don't even matter.
32:40 So we respect that.
32:42 We want to make sure that kids' voices are heard.
32:45 But under no circumstance should a teacher ever
32:48 feel targeted for whatever their belief is.
32:51 I don't care what it is.
32:52 They should never feel targeted.
32:54 And we will make sure that we support the teacher in that.
32:57 We will provide a level of safety supports
32:59 for as long as it takes for the teacher to feel supported
33:03 and safe in this building.
33:05 But there are many teachers who have been here
33:07 for many, many years.
33:09 And I have great confidence that the students and staff will all
33:13 wrap arms around that teacher, Ms. Marta,
33:16 and also make sure that we begin the healing
33:18 process for this school.
33:19 And you can only do that through communication and everybody
33:22 working together.
33:23 And I feel very confident under the leadership
33:25 of our principal, Scott Mulchesky,
33:27 that that is what we are going to do.
33:29 We're ready to take any questions at this point.
33:30 Yes, sir.
33:31 Yes, sir.
33:31 I want to know for the principal and president
33:33 of the school district, are you planning
33:35 on working with Ralph on Thursday?
33:36 And are you planning on doing it yourself?
33:39 I don't know anything about that right now.
33:41 Thursday?
33:41 Yeah.
33:42 OK.
33:42 OK.
33:45 Yes.
33:45 If you could say your outlet, please.
33:47 Yeah, thanks for being here.
33:48 Wes Marshall for The New York Times.
33:50 Last week on Tuesday, an 18-year-old senior, I believe,
33:53 was arrested from the school.
33:55 I believe the charges were something
33:56 related to targeting the school for shooting.
34:01 Was that related to this incident on Monday last week?
34:07 You want to speak to that at all?
34:09 It was completely unrelated.
34:11 Completely unrelated.
34:14 Yes.
34:14 Andrew.
34:15 I'm just curious about--
34:17 Andrew said WNBC.
34:18 I'm curious about your sort of straddling the line here.
34:21 In saying that it's important to listen to the students
34:24 and to give them a forum to voice their views,
34:28 you're not dismissing that the teacher felt
34:31 legitimate fear that day?
34:34 Not at all.
34:34 No.
34:35 The teacher-- well, the teacher was concerned before that day
34:41 because the teacher had saw people posting things
34:45 on social media about her having a sign saying,
34:50 "I stand with Israel."
34:51 So the teacher was aware prior to what
34:54 happened on that day that something
34:56 was buzzing about her.
34:58 So there was already a concern.
35:01 But what is also false was what was
35:03 printed that the teacher was somehow barricaded in her room
35:06 with marauding students coming after her,
35:08 and she was fearing for her life.
35:10 This incident was taking place somewhere
35:12 on the second or third floor in the school.
35:14 The teacher was downstairs in the assistant principal's
35:18 office, wasn't even aware when all of these things
35:20 were even happening.
35:21 So there was no teacher barricaded in a room.
35:24 It wasn't correct that the administration moved her
35:27 to a different floor to keep her out of the way of the students?
35:30 Yeah.
35:32 You want to speak to that also?
35:34 There was a-- we had reported this right away, of course.
35:38 And some police had come in and wanted to speak with her.
35:40 So she went downstairs to speak with them
35:42 prior to this incident.
35:43 While that was happening downstairs
35:45 is when the third floor occurred.
35:48 Got it.
35:49 So there was-- was there a conscious attempt
35:52 to keep her separated or protected when
35:55 the protest was taking place?
35:56 Well, she was downstairs at the time.
35:58 So yeah, she was already downstairs.
36:01 [INAUDIBLE]
36:04 You touched on this yourself.
36:06 You said that this is a problem that's
36:08 indicative of things that are going on in schools
36:11 all around the city as people and students grapple
36:14 with trying to understand the events that are taking place
36:17 in the Middle East.
36:19 My question to you is you call this a teachable moment
36:22 for this school.
36:23 What's a teachable moment for the entire city school
36:25 system about the proper way to discuss
36:28 what's going on in the Middle East,
36:30 to understand what's going on in the Middle East,
36:32 and not to evidence either anti-Semitism, Islamophobia,
36:36 or any other kind of hatred?
36:38 Absolutely.
36:38 Thank you so much for that, Marsha.
36:40 I'm going to be convening all the principals across New York
36:42 City before the end of the week in a Zoom session
36:46 to even-- so that they can hear clearly from me.
36:48 We've sent out a number of guidelines,
36:50 but those are things that are in writing.
36:52 But I need all of them to hear very clearly from me
36:55 around how we need to begin to engage in this process.
36:58 There are no easy answers for it,
36:59 and there's no one set way to approach it.
37:01 So for instance, here in this school,
37:03 they have something that's called advisory.
37:05 Not every school has that.
37:06 But it's a period of time.
37:07 It's not your regular English or math class.
37:09 It's just a designated time to have conversations
37:12 about a wide range of things.
37:14 And the kids here suggested that the advisory sessions
37:17 be used to talk about these issues right now.
37:20 There are many schools across the city
37:21 that, in fact, have those same advisory times.
37:24 Some schools have other things that they call it, Henry,
37:27 right?
37:28 And so we're going to look to work with the schools.
37:31 There's no one size that fits all.
37:34 But the goal is to encourage the schools
37:37 to have responsible conversation,
37:40 not to run away from the issue, not to hide from it,
37:43 because the kids are being consumed with information
37:46 every day anyway, whether you like it or not.
37:49 So you can't put your head in the sand
37:51 and act like it's not happening.
37:52 So you're going to talk to a zoo with all the principals
37:55 of all of your schools?
37:56 Yes, across the entire city.
37:57 Including elementary schools, middle schools, high schools?
38:01 All of them, absolutely.
38:02 Yep.
38:02 And so the goal is--
38:03 And your message is going to be what?
38:05 My message is to say that we are dealing in some perilous times
38:08 right now.
38:08 And we have to accept that what is a reality for kids
38:13 and what they are seeing and their parents
38:15 and the communities are seeing is real.
38:18 We need to unpack some of this in responsible ways.
38:21 And we will point them in the direction of the resources
38:24 and supports that we have, which will give them
38:27 what they need to have these responsible conversations.
38:30 But responsible conversations we must have.
38:33 We cannot avoid it as though it's just somehow
38:36 going to go away.
38:37 That's not responsible.
38:38 That's not what a good education is all about.
38:40 Yeah, hi.
38:42 [INAUDIBLE]
38:45 So to this point, there's no discipline that is public.
38:48 There's no arrests related to this incident
38:51 that you can be public about?
38:54 Mark, you want to come and speak to that?
39:01 No, we do not share out student discipline.
39:05 As you know, our young people have a right to privacy.
39:07 But just rest assured that every single incident
39:10 is being taken seriously and being dealt
39:13 with at the utmost level.
39:15 As it relates to the arrest, no public information regarding.
39:18 Well, let me say this.
39:19 Because sometimes that's a bureaucratic answer
39:22 that people don't like.
39:24 There was disciplinary action that was taken.
39:27 We don't share the names of students.
39:29 But I don't want to give you an answer where you walk away
39:31 and say, I don't even know what that means.
39:34 Students who are responsible for creating this,
39:38 we have invoked a set of disciplinary measures
39:42 in that regard.
39:43 Not going to tell you how many students or who they are,
39:45 but it was responded to.
39:47 We did not suspend hundreds of students
39:50 who were in the hallway.
39:51 There's some who have called on us to just suspend 500 kids.
39:54 We're not going to do that.
39:55 I want to be very clear about that.
39:57 But we have taken disciplinary action against some students.
40:00 Have you suspended some people?
40:01 Yes, we have.
40:04 Mike, go ahead.
40:04 Hey, Robert.
40:05 I'm the chancellor.
40:06 Hey.
40:06 Hi.
40:08 So two questions.
40:09 So first, you mentioned that you were
40:10 doing some kind of partnership with some external organization
40:14 on climate here.
40:15 Can you just elaborate on what that is?
40:18 And then second, on the point about having
40:21 these tough conversations in schools,
40:24 I have spoken to some educators who
40:26 have felt like a clear reminder about the rules
40:29 on political speech and about not sharing
40:31 your views in the classroom and about activity
40:34 outside of school expressing political views
40:37 has been interpreted by some as being cautious
40:42 and that that has contributed to some of the fear
40:44 about bringing stuff in school.
40:46 So I know you said that was not your intention,
40:48 but is it possible it's having that effect?
40:50 And is there anything you can do to help?
40:53 It is possible that it is having that effect.
40:55 And I think that's probably what I
40:56 mean when I say this thing is fraught with all kinds of issue
41:00 and challenge here.
41:02 Most schools, teachers, and school leaders,
41:06 the last thing they want to do is get involved in politics.
41:10 They're afraid of it.
41:12 Nobody wants to be accused of doing the wrong thing.
41:15 And something like this is a very tense situation.
41:19 And that's why you will find educators very often saying,
41:22 I'm staying away from that because I
41:24 may express my opinion or just even engage kids
41:26 in conversation, and all of a sudden,
41:28 I'm being accused of something.
41:30 So I understand where that mindset comes from.
41:34 But that's why I have to do the best I can.
41:35 But we do have to balance this because there's
41:40 a difference between having conversation, listening,
41:43 letting kids express what they think,
41:45 trying to make sure that they understand the facts,
41:48 and being a teacher who says, let
41:51 me tell you why one side is right and one side is wrong.
41:55 So it is somewhat of a challenge.
41:59 But to me, it is the essence of what a good education is about
42:03 because a good education helps to foster critical thinking.
42:07 Most of the issues that we deal with out here
42:08 are not black and white.
42:09 They're in the gray.
42:11 And you've got to figure out how to show up
42:13 in the gray responsibly.
42:17 And sometimes we get it wrong as adults.
42:21 One of the biggest challenges here is not about this--
42:23 I don't mean here at Hillcrest, I mean broadly.
42:25 It's not the students.
42:27 It's many of our adults who are more deeply opinionated
42:31 about these things than the kids are.
42:33 And sometimes they're wrong and strong.
42:36 And yet, they're the ones that are in front
42:38 of the kids in the class.
42:40 So we've got a lot of things that we have to balance.
42:43 This issue in the Middle East has been going on
42:45 seemingly my entire life.
42:48 And so we're not going to solve it here right now.
42:50 The kids at Hillcrest are not going to solve it.
42:52 But we want them at least to be aware of what's happening
42:55 and to know how they need to show up.
42:57 But ultimately, we need to help them understand
43:00 that they have to be not tolerant, accepting of people.
43:03 I don't even like the word tolerance.
43:05 Who are we to tolerate somebody?
43:08 Who do you think you are?
43:09 But to learn that everybody has a wide range of views.
43:12 The borough president says all the time,
43:14 this borough of Queens is the most diverse in the city.
43:19 But it's one thing to be diverse.
43:21 And it's another thing to be accepting.
43:22 Because you can have a wide range of people
43:24 who live in a place.
43:26 But it doesn't mean that they understand each other
43:28 or that they work together.
43:29 That mindset has to happen in our schools.
43:33 And that's what we want to try to continue to foster,
43:35 that mindset.
43:36 Last two questions here, and then we'll jump.
43:38 Kevin Sheehan, New York Times.
43:40 Chancellor, from the meetings you're having this afternoon,
43:43 you heard a lot of security concerns from teachers.
43:46 But did you hear any security concerns from teachers
43:49 that were kind of building a picture for you
43:52 of the same security concerns from multiple teachers?
43:56 Did you hear anything like that, like a consensus?
43:59 No overall consensus.
44:00 There were a couple of things that the teachers
44:02 raised about safety.
44:04 But one of which was the folks who are apparently--
44:08 there's some planned protest here for Thursday.
44:12 And teachers feeling very concerned about who
44:15 these people are that are coming here.
44:17 And there's a sense that many of them
44:20 have that their own safety might be in danger or in question.
44:25 And I assured them in the strongest ways
44:28 that I know how that the last thing that they need to be
44:30 concerned about is their safety.
44:32 We will work together with the mayor, NYPD, school safety
44:35 to ensure the safety of everybody
44:37 who comes to this school, not only on Thursday,
44:41 but every day.
44:42 But certainly as relates to whatever's
44:43 being planned for Thursday, we want our teachers
44:45 and our staff to know that they are safe.
44:49 I'm still getting more intel on who these folks are.
44:53 But whoever they are are not folks
44:55 who reached out to have a meeting with me
44:58 and have a conversation about what's going on.
45:00 They're people who make their own determinations.
45:02 And then they say, this is what we're going to come out and do.
45:05 I don't operate like that.
45:07 I engage people in dialogue.
45:09 And any of those folks who want to do that
45:11 could just as easily have a meeting with me.
45:13 But oftentimes, they choose not to do that.
45:15 They have their own political purposes.
45:17 So they want to show out.
45:19 Jill?
45:20 Chancellor, I wanted to ask you if you
45:21 could tell us a little bit about what kind of de-escalation
45:24 conversations were maybe had with students today
45:26 and whether that's across the entire student body.
45:28 I ask in part because I was outside during dismissal
45:31 and interviewing some students.
45:33 And kids will always yell and do crazy stuff to get on camera.
45:36 That's part of my job.
45:38 Right.
45:39 There were lots of students who echoed
45:41 the sentiments of the students here.
45:42 But there was also at least one student
45:44 who was yelling, go Hamas.
45:46 There were some more inflammatory calls
45:48 that I suspect you may not find appropriate.
45:53 What kind of conversations were had today
45:55 to cool down a little bit of that tension?
45:57 Yeah.
45:58 So we met with a group of student leaders,
46:01 a cross-section of kids from the ninth through the 12th grade.
46:04 Again, there are 2,500 students here.
46:06 So I certainly didn't meet with 2,500 students.
46:09 But I met with a representative group
46:10 that helped to give us some insight in terms
46:12 of how the students are feeling.
46:14 You just heard from two of them.
46:15 We are going to work closely with the school leadership
46:20 here to continue those conversations that will
46:24 help the students to feel heard.
46:27 But there's a lot of work that has to be done.
46:31 So no, the issue was not fully resolved today.
46:34 So we just pledged to stand shoulder
46:39 to shoulder with the school to help to support them.
46:42 At the end of the day, it's the school principal.
46:45 It is the school faculty here who are here every single day
46:49 and in the classes with our young people.
46:51 And we're going to leave it to them
46:53 to find out the best way forward.
46:55 That was my message to the staff.
46:57 This is a moment of challenge.
46:59 But I believe that the folks of this school
47:02 will meet this moment.
47:04 In fact, we need them to do that.
47:06 If they can't come together to figure it out,
47:08 then we've got real trouble.
47:10 But I believe that they will.
47:11 And we will be here backing them up
47:13 to help provide any levels of additional supports
47:16 that they need.
47:16 My final word on this, Joe, is this.
47:18 This is a really good school with wonderful young people.
47:22 And I'm so taken aback by this notion of the kids
47:26 are terrorists or--
47:30 You know, anti--
47:32 --or radicalized.
47:33 I mean, even that kind of language, right?
47:35 It's just terrible.
47:36 And it's irresponsible.
47:39 And some of the kids who came over to me to say,
47:41 you know, they're watching themselves
47:43 and their school, a good name, being besmirched on TV.
47:46 And they're saying, they don't even know us.
47:49 But that is also part of your reality
47:51 that you're going to have to deal with.
47:52 There are a lot of folks who will cast judgment.
47:54 There are a lot of periodicals and media outlets
47:56 that will also cast judgment.
47:57 And they have no idea who you are.
47:59 And it almost doesn't matter that these are just
48:01 things that people do.
48:02 That will be part of your growing up experience as well.
48:05 And you realize how you have to manage even in those times.
48:08 And that is also part of our messaging to folks.
48:11 Last word I will say is this.
48:13 We're expecting our teacher back this week.
48:16 And we will ensure her safety.
48:20 And not like just by armed guards.
48:23 That's not what we expect will be happening here.
48:27 The students themselves, the faculty here,
48:30 will wrap arms around and ensure the safety of everybody
48:36 who works here or students who go to school here.
48:40 We will ensure that.
48:41 So with that, is that the last one?
48:43 Thank you so much for coming out, everybody.
48:45 Thank you.
48:46 [APPLAUSE]
48:48 Thank you.
48:49 Thank you, sir.
48:49 Appreciate you.
48:50 [INTERPOSING VOICES]
48:53 >> Thank you.
48:54 >> Enjoying taverns.
48:55 Good to see you.
48:56 Good to see you.