The New York State Supreme Court on Friday issued a temporary injunction against the closure of six haredi yeshivas in Brooklyn, about a week after authorities decided to revoke their recognition as accredited educational institutions.
The institutions, operating in the Borough Park and Williamsburg neighborhoods, were found not to meet required educational standards because they do not teach core subjects such as mathematics, English and science.
In May, the Department of Education sent notices to parents that beginning in June 2025 the institutions would no longer be recognized as providers of compulsory education, public funding and related services would cease, and parents were required to find alternatives for their children.
The court rejected the authorities' position that institutions already on "the blacklist" could not be re-examined under a new law allowing alternative demonstration routes, and the judge called the approach, "arbitrary and capricious."
The ruling allows the institutions to reapply and undergo renewed evaluation procedures instead of being closed immediately. It also allows them to continue to receive public funding for services such as transportation and special education.
The legal battle began after an investigation by The New York Times in 2022 revealed that thousands of students in yeshivas graduate without basic knowledge of English and mathematics. Following that, the city identified 18 institutions that did not meet compulsory education requirements.