NYC schools chancellor, Rep. Elise Stefanik clash at antisemitism hearing

thank you very much Mr chair um Mr Banks there's been many questions on Hillcrest and I just want to make sure it's very clear for the record the principal of Hillcrest High School is still employed by the Department of Education correct correct and what is his role uh he's serving in a role working on one of the teams under one of our Deputy chancellors I am told that he's director of teacher development and evaluation is that accurate uh that I don't know his official title right I'd have to double check that that's concerning to me that you have him in a senior position and what's very concerning about these hearings is that we're getting lip service but a lack of enforcement a lack of accountability and these rules and policies matter whether it's teachers administrators or students violating the rules I want to switch to Origins High School in October 40 to 50 students marched through origins High School chanting death to Israel and kill the Jews in addition an independent investigation found that uh a teacher who teaches global history was told by a student quote I wish you were killed another student called her quote a dirty Jew and the student said he wish Hitler could have hit more Jews including her what disciplinary actions have been taken against those students who chanted death to Israel at Origins high school and against the student who harassed with anti Semitic slurs that teacher two things first of all when we have done our investigation we have found no evidence that there was any movement through the hall saying death to the Jews we looked at and I treat that very very seriously we that was reported in the papers we have found no evidence that that actually happened what we have found are wide range deeply troubling anti-semitic things that have happened at arin's high school this this is the one case that has troubled me the most congresswoman I will tell you that so what are the enforcement action I'm trying to tell you we have we have in fact spended a number of students at that school but currently this case now is under litigation and I'm being advised not to speak to the specific things that have happened there but just know that what H I had visited that school after these allegations have come up I met with parents family staff students I'm deeply troubled by what has happened there and we're going to get to the bottom of it I can't say more because it is now under litigation you understand our concern though as policy makers when we have witnesses testify whether it's Columbia University Penn Harvard or New York City Chancellor when there is a lack of enforcement and accountability that there is a set of rules but that individuals who violate those rules are not held accountable we've we've held a lot of people accountable that was part you want to hear when I gave my opening statement but you didn't you said you fired the principal and it turns out the former principal said I you did a member you can check the testimony M mlan asked you fired her you said yes fired the principal of who Hill Crest I never said I fired the principal of Hill you checked the record I never said I will check the record I will the Mr Mr Banks never said I fired the principal she said has he been fired you said yes and then we moved on that to differ on we now know though that he is still employed by the department of educ he no longer at the school he's been EMP by principal of the school and now at the Department of Education you testified to that and you also said I believe you know we've been told he's te director of teacher development evaluation and you're not sure if that's the case our expectation is we'll get an answer by the end of today whether that's the case or not absolutely my next question is there have been multiple teacher Le anti-israel walkouts during school time what are the consequences for those teacher walkouts and do those violate policy of doe what I'm not sure what teacher walkouts we've had a number of walkouts of students out of school including me several of our high schools which are also very troubling for me so what disciplinary action is taken in that case right the the challenge that we have in that case is we do not have any rules within our code of conduct that would prevent a child from actually walking out of the school when they walk out of the school they are marked absent they're essentially cutting from school there are consequences for cutting School your testimony today that there's no teacher involvement in those walkouts because Independent Media Reports say that there is teacher involvement in those walkouts I don't have any evidence of that we have evidence of one where principal assigned toach teacher to go with a student to a protest completely inappropriate that principal was disciplined the teacher was disciplined in that particular case what was the form of the discipline I'm not at Liberty to tell you to very specific they were not fired but we have a wide range of discipline that takes place in those cases and we did take action and my last question is uh you had a teacher at Gotham Tech High School in Queens and you've spoken out publicly against this he posted images of a Hamas parag glider to his social media repeatedly refers to so-called Israel uh again this is highlighting a Hamas paraglider who slaughtered Jews we all have seen the horrific footage who cooked babies these are terrorists what disciplinary action has taken against this teacher again action was taken when first of all I want to just say I think what what what that employee did absolutely disgusting absolutely disgusting and we took action what was the action I cannot give you the specific on the action that was yes you can you're Congress what is the I cannot give you on the specific employe on this specific employee G time exped not to that's unacceptable time has expired

Channel: Face the Nation

Views: 24,331

Keywords: Elise Stefanik, David Banks, antisemitism, congress, nyc, new york city, schools chancellor, Antisemitism, New York City, CBS News, U.S., Politics

Id: LS9JmSpQeBc

Length: 5min 42sec (342 seconds)

Published: Thu May 09 2024