National Education Association hit with federal antisemitism investigation

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has begun an investigation into allegations of antisemitism at the National Education Association, part of the Trump administration’s ongoing battle against rising anti-Jewish hostility on the left.

The Brandeis Center Coalition to Combat Anti-Semitism said the federal probe comes in response to its charge filed last month accusing the nation’s largest teachers’ union of perpetuating “hostile environments for Jewish members” that have seeped into the classroom.

“At a time when anti-Semitism in schools has reached an all-time high, the charge asserts that the NEA has perpetuated hostile environments for Jewish members in the union, in the NEA’s state and local affiliates, and in the workplace, resulting in the spread of anti-Semitism throughout K-12 public schools,” the center said Monday in a statement.

An EEOC spokesperson said the agency cannot comment on whether an investigation is underway.

“Under federal law, both charges filed with, and charge inquiries made to, the EEOC are confidential,” the spokesperson said in an email. “The EEOC can neither confirm nor deny the existence of any charge or charge inquiry.”

The complaint filed with the agency listed incidents from last year, such as the NEA distributing a map that labeled Israel as “Palestine” and issuing a handbook that made no mention of Jews in its description of the victims of the Holocaust.

The NEA revised the handbook to include a reference to the six million Jews killed in the Holocaust and removed the map after a public backlash. Still, the union’s 2025 Representative Assembly offered proof that the episodes were more than isolated mistakes.

At the gathering in Portland, Oregon, Jewish delegates were swarmed by pro-Palestinian members when they tried to speak on the floor on topics related to antisemitism and Israel, such as a proposal to sever ties with the Anti-Defamation League.

“I watched as delegates, lined up wearing keffiyehs, donned in Palestinian flags, and sporting shirts accusing Jews of genocide — ready, coordinated, and rehearsed to speak against anything remotely Jewish,” a California teacher said in a July 12 email to the NEA. “These were not spontaneous remarks. They were strategic efforts to erase and vilify. It was a preplanned coordinated attack to demonize, vilify and make Jews feel unsafe.”

NEA President Becky Pringle has repeatedly denied allegations of antisemitism, insisting after the assembly that the union is “deeply committed to ensuring the safety and inclusion of Jewish educators and students.”

The House Committee on Education and the Workforce and Sen. Bill Cassidy, who chairs the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, have also opened investigations into alleged antisemitism at the NEA.

Brandeis CEO Kenneth Marcus, who served as the Department of Education’s assistant secretary for civil rights under the first Trump administration, praised the EEOC for its “quick response and firm commitment to enforcing Title VII.”

“The promptness of the EEOC’s response to our complaint reflects the high degree of attention and professionalism that we have been seeing, under the tenure of Chair Andrea Lucas, at that agency,” he said Monday in a statement. “We are actively working with EEOC investigators to provide relevant documents, witness information, and other evidence supporting our clients’ allegations of pervasive antisemitism within the NEA.”

The center said it has provided documents, witness statements and other information to EEOC staff at the Washington field office conducting the investigation.

“No employee or union member should be excluded, intimidated, harassed, discriminated against, or denied opportunities because of their Jewish identity,” Mr. Marcus said. “That’s why our goal is not merely to end antisemitic discrimination and harassment at the NEA but also to ensure an equal playing field for members of all races, religions, and national origins.”

The Washington Times has reached out to the NEA for comment.

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 bans government, labor and educational institutions from discriminating in employment based on race, color, religion, sex and national origin or ancestry, which includes Jewish heritage.

The NEA’s 2026 Representative Assembly is scheduled for July 4-7 at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver.

• Sean Salai contributed to this report.