A New York City public school teacher has filed a discrimination complaint after he was not allowed to wear a T-shirt with the Israeli flag and the phrase “Proud Zionist” on it.
Jeffrey Levy, who works as an ESL teacher at Middle School 51 in Park Slope Brooklyn, alleged that other teachers were allowed to wear clothing featuring political statements, but he was singled out for wearing a pro-Israel shirt as well as a pro-police shirt, the New York Post reported.
Levy, who has taught for 20 years, told the Post that the school’s principal Neal Singh had let him know he was not allowed to wear his “Proud Zionist” T-shirt in the school, although other staff had worn shirts supporting BLM and women’s rights.
The teacher said he was told by Singh that students and staff had complained about his pro-Israel shirt as well as a pro-police shirt he wore that said “Back the Blue.”
“Singh told me that my T-shirt with an Israeli flag on it and the words ‘Proud Zionist’ were ‘politically explosive,'” Levy wrote in a complaint he submitted on September 30 to the Department of Education (DOE) Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity.
His complaint stated that the principal “told me that Zionism involves the retaking of Palestinian land and is ‘offensive.’”
It continued: “Singh has permitted other staff to wear attire with ‘Black Lives Matter,’ ‘Feminism is the radical idea that women are people,’ ‘Feminist’ and ‘O’Connor & Ginsburg & Sotomayor & Kagan.’”
The complained alleged that “Singh’s definition of politically-explosive attire appears limited to Jews only,” with Levy adding that “none of my attire, actions or beliefs endanger the emotional or physical safety of students or staff, which Singh accused me of … I have conducted myself professionally and have always respected the beliefs of all while doing my job neutrally and without bias.”
The DOE defended the principal’s actions in a statement to the news outlet.
“Schools are not public forums for advancing personal political views, and per Department of Education regulations, employees are prohibited from using schools for the purpose of political expression,” said a DOE spokesperson.
The DOE added: “This principal’s request followed complaints from students and staff and is consistent with policies around political neutrality in schools.”
The DOE Chancellor’s Regulation D-130 states that “while on duty or in contact with students, school personnel may not wear buttons, pins, articles of clothing, or any other items advocating a candidate, candidates, slate of candidates or political organization/committee.”
However, Levy is arguing that his t-shirt was not in violation of the regulation, and that there was a double standard at work.