Queens Students Riot Over Teacher’s ‘I Support Israel’ Post

Queens officials are currently investigating a riot that took place at Hillcrest High School last Monday over a teacher’s participation at a pro-Israel rally.

The incident, which took place on November 20, was pre-planned by students when they discovered that a teacher posted a picture of herself at a pro-Israel rally on October 9 in Queens. The picture showed the teacher, who is Jewish, holding a sign that read “I support Israel.”

According to one student, once they saw the teacher supporting Israel, some students started a group chat and began talking about starting a riot.

School officials and the NYPD found out about the staged riot and were able to rush the teacher to safety behind a locked door.

Students allegedly stood outside of the 45-year-old health teacher’s classroom door for two hours, preventing her from leaving, until police were able to escort her out.

“I have been a teacher for 23 years in the New York City public school system, for the last seven at Hillcrest High School,” she said. “I have worked hard to be supportive of our entire student body and an advocate for our community, and was shaken to my core by the calls to violence against me that occurred online and outside my classroom last week.”

The incident at Hillcrest comes after Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7, which has caused protests from both sides around the country.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams responded to the incident, stating that it was “motivated by ignorance” and that hate of any kind will not be tolerated.

This is not the first issue that the school has had with its students. On November 15, four students were arrested for allegedly assaulting school safety officers who were trying to break up a fight inside the school.

Councilwoman Vickie Palladino called for Hillcrest High School to be shut down and investigated due to the administration’s inability to “provide a safe environment” for students and faculty.

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