Hillcrest High School 'Riot' Over Pro-Israel Teacher Condemned by mayor

New York Mayor Eric Adams has condemned what he described as a "vile show of antisemitism" which took place on Monday at Hillcrest High School in Queens, when a Jewish teacher had to hide in a locked office as several hundred pro-Palestinian students rampaged through the school, with some reportedly attempting to force entry.

The pre-planned demonstration took place after the teacher shared a photograph of herself at a pro-Israeli demonstration on social media, holding a poster from the American Jewish Committee reading "I stand with Israel."

Tensions erupted globally on October 7 when Hamas fighters launched a massive surprise attack on southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and kidnapping another 240. Israel hit back with an air and ground campaign that has killed more than 12,700 Palestinians, The Associated Press reported, citing the Hamas-run Health Ministry.

According to The New York Post 25 officers from the New York Police Department (NYPD) attended the high school disturbance to regain order and the following day police arrested an 18-year-old for allegedly posting threats in a group chat.

Adams shared the New York Post article on X, formerly Twitter, adding: "The vile show of antisemitism at Hillcrest High School was motivated by ignorance-fueled hatred, plain and simple, and it will not be tolerated in any of our schools, let alone anywhere else in our city. We are better than this."

Footage of the disturbance posted on social media shows large groups of students, some waving Palestinian flags, both inside and outside the school. One clip, first posted on TikTok, referred to "multiple fights and riots" and included a photo of a water fountain that had been ripped from the wall in an apparent act of vandalism.

City Councilman James Gennaro, a Democrat, said the NYPD had brought in its counterterrorism bureau to investigate potential threats arising from the incident.

He said: "Whether it was one student or multiple students who did or said something, whatever the trigger was, something happened. And I know from my many years on the city council that the counterterrorism task force is not engaged unless they believe it is potentially a serious situation."

In a statement provided to the New York Post, the teacher, whose name is being withheld for security reasons, spoke of her terror during the incident.

She said: "I have been a teacher for 23 years in the New York City public school system, for the last seven at Hillcrest High School. I have worked hard to be supportive of our entire student body and an advocate for our community, and was shaken to my core by the calls to violence against me that occurred online and outside my classroom last week.

"No one should ever feel unsafe at school, students and teachers alike. It's my hope in the days ahead we can find a way to have meaningful discussions about challenging topics with respect for each other's diverse perspectives and shared humanity. Unless we can learn to see each other as people we will never be able to create a safe learning community."

Gennaro added: "It went from a teacher just changing a photograph on her social profile to this contagion of hate being released in the halls of Hillcrest High School. It's a sad commentary on the rancid hate that exists within the hearts of students for Jews."

Newsweek has reached out to Hillcrest High School for comment by telephone and the NYPD press office via email and telephone.

In Gaza, a four-day ceasefire came into effect on Friday, with Hamas having agreed to release 50 hostages in return for 150 prisoners held in Israeli custody and increased aid supply for Palestine. On Saturday night, the second batch of 17 hostages, 13 Israelis and four Thai nationals not included in the deal, were released by Hamas.

The conflict has sparked rival demonstrations supporting Palestine and Israel in a number of U.S. cities, including an incident at on November 17 at Michigan University where police said they made 40 arrests after several hundred protesters occupied a building.