The National Education Association (NEA), the largest teachers' union in the United States, has been hit with a federal complaint alleging that it created an antisemitic environment for its Jewish members. The complaint, filed by the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), claims that the union allowed activists to harass Jewish members, including at its 2025 Representative Assembly.
During the assembly, delegates aligned with anti-Israel advocacy groups physically positioned themselves near Jewish Affairs Caucus members, shouted down Jewish participants, and created an atmosphere in which Jewish delegates reasonably feared retaliation and physical harm, according to the complaint. In some cases, activists sat or stood so close to Jewish members that they felt unable to clap, which was required to vote, without risking physical contact and confrontation.
Allegations of Intimidation and Harassment
When one Jewish NEA member spoke against a resolution banning materials from the Anti-Defamation League from appearing in classrooms and mentioned the 82-year-old woman killed during a terrorist firebombing attack in Boulder, Colo., last year, her remarks were met with laughter and clapping by anti-Semitic participants in the assembly. Witnesses described the collective, celebratory reactions to the attack and murder of Jews as threatening and intimidating due to the forceful nature of the gestures which were directed specifically toward Jewish delegates.
Rebecca S. Pringle, the president of the NEA, allegedly prevented the Jewish Affairs Caucus's executive chair from speaking, even though the leader had received prior authorization to do so. Instead, she recognized representatives of Educators for Palestine, who had just disrupted the proceedings and interfered with the Executive Chair's ability to speak.
The complaint comes less than a year after the House Committee on Education and Workforce launched its own investigation into antisemitism at the NEA. The Brandeis Center complaint says that the NEA has neglected to address antisemitism, despite receiving numerous complaints outlining antisemitic harassment within its organization.
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission will review the complaint and determine whether to investigate further. If the EEOC finds that the NEA has engaged in discriminatory practices, it could lead to significant consequences for the union, including potential lawsuits and damage to its reputation.