The chancellor of New York City Public Schools on Wednesday told lawmakers on Capitol Hill that there have been 281 antisemitic and Islamophobic incidents within his school system since Hamas launched its attack on Israel on Oct. 7, but one case troubles him the most. David Banks made the admission to the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education during a hearing titled 'Confronting pervasive antisemitism in K-12 schools.
We have, in fact, suspended a number of students at that school. But currently this case now is under litigation,' he also said. 'And I'm being advised not to speak to the specific things that have happened there.' The hearing opened with Rep. Aaron Bean, R-Fla., calling the very need for it a 'travesty.' 'The aftermath of Oct. 7 has revealed some of the ugliest, most deprived ideas once marginalized from polite society. And our education system has failed to stop it.