P.S. 153 in Maspeth, Queens, where a teacher is alleged to have made racist and anti-Israel remarks on social media, and attacked the local City Council Member, Robert Holden (inset).
Photo via Google Maps/Inset by Dean Moses
A Queens public school teacher is feeling the heat for allegedly posting anti-Israel remarks on her personal social media accounts, possibly while she was at work on school grounds.
Taiba Ahmad, a teacher at P.S. 153 in Maspeth, posted what some local officials are calling “inappropriate and offensive” comments on her social media accounts including X (formerly Twitter).
She is also alleged to have referred to NYC Council Member Robert Holden (D-Queens) as an “old genocidal white guy,” possibly in reference to his remarks criticizing the protestors at Columbia University.
As of Tuesday morning, Ahmad’s social media accounts were restricted from public viewing.
James Miramey, a member of Community Education Council 3 in Manhattan (which does not cover Queens schools), said in a letter to Schools Chancellor David Banks that Ahmad’s “anti-Israel rhetoric and derogatory remarks” are “not only unacceptable” but offensive to the school community.
“I want to make it clear that we do not approve of such behavior, especially in an educational setting where our children are expected to learn in a safe, respectful, and inclusive environment,” Miramey said in the letter. “The use of such language is not only disrespectful to students, but also to the teachers, administrators and elected officials who work tirelessly for the betterment of our community.”
But when amNew York Metro asked Miramey what comments Ahmad made that were antisemitic or anti-Israel, he said, “I don’t want to come back to this, let’s leave it at that.”
Despite his vague response, Miramey said he would still like the DOE to take action against Ahmad if she had any agreements with the job restricting political commentary on social media.
“The DOE should review if she broke regulations she signed or not and then apply consequences,” he said.
‘Hate has no place in our city:’ Holden
Holden, meanwhile, is also criticizing the teacher for her alleged remarks.
“Hate has no place in our city, especially from those trusted to educate our children,” the council member said. “The hurtful, racist, and ageist remarks from this teacher on social media are disturbing, and concerned parents and educators have reported ongoing issues. If you espouse these kinds of views, you shouldn’t be entrusted with the care of our children. You would think a teacher would know better.”
According to Holden’s own letter to Banks, the council member said Ahmad posted her social media comments during regular school hours, suggesting that she was on the job at the time.
The DOE prohibits employees from engaging in personal activities at work, including interacting on personal social media accounts.
According to P.S. 153’s website, Ahmad is a sixth-grade teacher at the school. She is also part of the school’s leadership team and was elected by the United Federation of Teachers. School leadership teams help develop school-based education policies and assist in the assessment of a school’s educational programs and their effects on student achievement, according to the website.
Jenna Lyle, a DOE spokesperson, said the agency would look into the incident.
“We take these complaints extremely seriously,” Lyle said. “To be clear, all employees have the right to free speech on personal social media accounts, but it must be within the limitations set forth in NYCPS policies and guidelines. We will review the letter.”