In an effort to address rising incidents of antisemitism and Islamophobia, New York City鈥檚 Education Department launched an anti-hate hotline, officials said Monday.

The goal is to streamline related to hate, harassment, and discrimination, adding another avenue on top of a four-year-old online portal for all bullying complaints.

The hotline (718-935-2889), staffed with Education Department employees, will be open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday-Friday. Callers can remain anonymous, but the pre-recorded greeting suggests having your student鈥檚 ID number or your staff ID number to 鈥渆xpedite your call.鈥�

鈥淭here is zero tolerance for hate in our schools,鈥� incoming Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos said in a statement, 鈥渁nd this new hotline will help ensure incidents are reported and addressed.鈥�

The announcement was part of a suite of initiatives the Education Department highlighted as the city commemorated the one-year anniversary of the Oct. 7 terror attacks by Hamas on Israel, which killed more than 1,200 people. More than 250 people were taken hostage and Israel鈥檚 subsequent attack on Gaza has killed , including many children, and has led to a.

Prior to the new hotline, students and staff members could report incidents with their school or through a bullying portal the department launched in 2020 in response to a

From September to January last school year, the city saw roughly 440 school reports about incidents related to ethnicity or national origin, up about 30% from the same time the year before, . There were nearly 290 reports related to religion, up nearly 78% from the year before.

, according to the annual school surveys. About 40% of the middle and high school students who responded to the survey reported seeing harassment based on race, ethnicity, religion, or immigration status, up from 30% in 2019.

Many people had been asking the Education Department to create a hotline or dedicated way to specifically report hate-rated incidents, including , who faced a raucous student protest over her support of Israel in the aftermath of the attacks on Oct. 7, 2023.

Marder recently sued the city for failing to protect her before students began marching in the hallways, calling for her ouster. She has, however, remained at the school 鈥� she now helps oversee student discipline as one of the school鈥檚 deans 鈥� and has been heartened that the new school year has started off relatively calm under a new principal. She spent much of the past year calling on outgoing schools Chancellor David Banks to create a hotline like the one that was just launched.

鈥淚鈥檓 very happy they are finally doing this though it shouldn鈥檛 have taken a year,鈥� she told Chalkbeat.

As , the Education Department鈥檚 Office of Safety and Prevention Partnerships expected to deploy additional staffers to public schools on Monday, officials said. And ahead of Oct. 7, Education Department officials sent reminders to principals about the role of schools to create safe spaces for students to engage with current events 鈥� but in ways that ensure schools don鈥檛 take political stances, officials said. Students have previously complained that

Additionally, the Education Department this fall is offering new anti-discrimination staff training with a specific focus on antisemitism and Islamophobia. The city鈥檚 Hidden Voices curriculum 鈥� which focuses on historical figures whose stories seldom get told 鈥� is expected to release installments by the end of the school year on Muslim Americans and Jewish Americans, and the city is encouraging of different cultures and their histories. The school system鈥檚 is continuing to meet this year, as a way to demonstrate to students how to build bridges across different groups.

This story was originally published by . Chalkbeat is a nonprofit news site covering educational change in public schools. Sign up for their newsletters at . 

Correction appended Sept. 30

Educators and advocates from across the country 鈥� many of whom say they have already seen the effects of anti-immigrant political rhetoric on their students 鈥� convened Wednesday night to strategize on how to counter it in their schools. 

Adam Strom, director of Re-Imagining Migration, told the webinar鈥檚 93 attendees to take an active role in combating prejudice by facing the issue head-on. He encouraged participants to address bullying against immigrant students specifically in school policy 鈥� and to teach about stereotypes without unintentionally reinforcing them. 

鈥淴enophobia harms all kids,鈥� he said, 鈥減articularly immigrant youth.鈥� 

The meeting came two weeks after former President Donald Trump claimed during a presidential debate that immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, . Debunked by multiple official sources, Trump and his Republican running mate, JD Vance, have persisted in repeating the lie, which resulted in bomb threats that shuttered six Springfield schools and two local colleges. 

Less than 30 miles away in Dayton, Joni Watson, a retired public school teacher, works for an adult literacy nonprofit that helps participants earn their GED. Watson’s group also helps Dayton-area newcomers learn to read and write English through free one-on-one tutoring. 

鈥淭his topic is near and dear to my heart as I am really in the thick of it on a daily basis,鈥� she told 社区黑料. 鈥淚 am just sick about what Vance and Trump are doing and saying.鈥�

In a pre-webinar survey of 74 respondents, 31% said they knew of immigrant children who had reported being bullied or teased at school. Twenty-three percent said they heard students make anti-immigrant comments on campus this school year while another 23% heard staff make such statements since the beginning of the year. Eleven percent said they heard or witnessed staffers make anti-immigrant comments to families and caregivers.  

Strom advised educators to reach out to young immigrants and their families to check in on how they are feeling during this turbulent time and to tell all students that bullying of newcomers is unacceptable. He said, too, that educators should respond immediately when such incidents occur. 

During the session, Strom unveiled Re-Imagining Migration鈥檚 new . The AI-powered tool, which fed off thousands of pages of information from the organization鈥檚 website, including reports and lesson plans, was developed to help users identify misinformation. 

It encourages them to check the validity of such claims by consulting credible fact-checking sites such as 鈥� and to learn and spread correct information to their school communities. Since putting Springfield , Trump has moved to inciting false fears over immigrant communities in and .

Psychotherapist Liz Carrasco said she wanted to attend the webinar because she鈥檚 seen the impact of hate speech on her students. 

鈥淢any worry that their families could be torn apart, or that they will face discrimination in their pursuit of education and work,鈥� she said. 鈥淔or these students, political rhetoric is not just words 鈥� it has very real and immediate consequences for their safety and their future.鈥�

A U.S. citizen who was born in Mexico, Carrasco works with UNLV PRACTICE Nevada Rural Communities Mental Health Outreach Program, which supports young people ages 12-25, and teaches at the university’s School of Social Work. Carrasco, who was not speaking on behalf of UNLV, said she works with immigrants who have gone through horrific ordeals, including some who were victims of human trafficking.

Strom asked participants to be honest about whether and how they teach about migration and instructed them to develop better, more robust lessons that capture immigrant students鈥� experiences. 

He said this can be done at all grade levels.  

鈥淭hink about how you might use childrens鈥� books to normalize the stories of newcomers,鈥� he said during the hour-long event.  

Anindita Das, community engagement strategist at an Iowa college, said she was compelled to attend the event because reducing prejudice helps build a more inclusive and harmonious society.

鈥淏eing an immigrant myself, I know immigrants bring diverse cultures, perspectives and experiences, enriching the social fabric of the host country,鈥� she said. 鈥淚mmigrants contribute significantly to the economy through their labor, entrepreneurship and innovation. Addressing prejudice ensures they can fully participate and contribute.鈥�

Correction: An earlier version of this story had an outdated description of Liz Carrasco’s job with the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

At the concurrent , teachers, parents and community members called for Maron and Egorov鈥檚 removal, citing the Chancellor鈥檚 promise, loss of 鈥渢rust,鈥� and high risk of suicide among LGBTQ youth. Maron was not present.

An elected member of a prominent New York City education council said 鈥渢here is no such thing as trans kids,鈥� while another claimed the social justice movement is 鈥渄estroying the country,鈥� in a private parent group chat.聽聽

In the same set of exchanges dating back to June 2022, Andrew Gutmann, a former New York City parent and current Florida congressional candidate, accused LGBTQ people and social justice advocates of being 鈥渁nti-children,鈥� and trans and nonbinary kids as 鈥渋ndoctrinated鈥� in a 鈥渞eally dangerous cult.鈥� 

Responding to one Brooklyn parent鈥檚 concern about the number of LGBTQ children in her child鈥檚 school, Manhattan District 2 Community Education Council member Maud Maron responded 鈥渢he social contagion is undeniable鈥� and called hormone blocking drugs 鈥渁n abomination.鈥� 

On the same day in another exchange about LGBTQ kids, Maron said, 鈥淭here is no such thing as trans kids [because] there is no such thing as transition i.e. changing your sex.鈥� 

The 鈥渟ocial contagion鈥� phrase, equating an aspect of a child鈥檚 identity to disease, was used by a northern California school board member earlier this year who . 

In a statement, a NYC Department of Education spokesperson called the remarks 鈥渄espicable and not in line with our values.鈥�    

In WhatsApp logs obtained by 社区黑料, an additional parent leader made crude remarks levied at a state senator, while another shared a worksheet that defined hate speech as 鈥渦sually constitutionally protected鈥� and an 鈥渆xpression of opinion.鈥� 

Maron also hormone therapy causes permanent, harmful effects for teens taking the drugs. 鈥淪ome of these kids never develop adult genitalia and will never have full sexual function. It鈥檚 an abomination,鈥� she wrote on November 11, 2022. 

When asked for comment on the remarks, Maron asserted her position by stating, 鈥淩adical trans ideology as taught in our public schools is regressive, homophobic and often deeply misogynistic.鈥� She added telling gender expansive kids they need to be 鈥渇ixed鈥� by transitioning 鈥渓eads to grave, irreversible harm for so many young people.鈥� 

The  has supported access to , as have all leading medical associations in the country, according to the , who also cited research that  improves long-term physical and mental health, and reduces suicidal ideation.

Local leaders and advocates have called for Maron and fellow CEC member Danyela Souza Egorov to resign or be removed by NYC Schools Chancellor David Banks. Elected members, serving two-year terms, advise education officials on 32 CECs throughout the city. 

鈥淚f they’re not going to be removed, they have to engage in training 鈥� There has to be a level of accountability when grownups are the ones that are harming children,鈥� said Panel for Education Policy member Kaliris Salas-Ramirez, a CUNY school of medicine neurology professor appointed by Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine. 鈥淢y heart breaks.鈥�

In addition to calling the comments 鈥渄espicable,鈥� a DOE spokesperson said the department 鈥渄oes not condone the opinions expressed鈥� in the log and added 鈥渁ll children deserve protection, including LGBTQ+ children.鈥�

鈥淥ur educators work every day to make New York City public schools safe and supportive environments for LGBTQ+ youth,鈥� the DOE spokesperson said.

Chancellor鈥檚 regulation prohibits discrimination or harassment based on gender and other protected classes, stating 鈥渢he DOE does not tolerate disrespect towards children.鈥� The regulation also states that, after an investigation, the chancellor may remove or suspend members if conduct poses a 鈥渄anger to the safety or welfare of students鈥� or 鈥渋s contrary to the best interest鈥� of the district. 

The department receives complaints against CEC members who are thought to be in violation of the chancellor鈥檚 regulations by email. 

Manhattan City Councilmember Erik Bottcher, who represents families and children in School District 2, also denounced the remarks and encouraged disciplinary action. 

鈥淚t is deeply troubling that CEC members are engaging in demeaning, transphobic smears that are reminiscent of playground bullies rather than responsible adults tasked with advocating for the well-being of our kids,鈥� Bottcher said. 鈥淥ur students deserve better.鈥� 

The chat also revealed some members believe hate speech, racism, white supremacy and other 鈥渟ocial justice鈥� jargon are fraught terms used to 鈥渄iscriminate against鈥� white and Asian people. 鈥淭he anti-racists are so racist,鈥� said Maron.

That parents with these views have gained power locally is unsurprising to scholars who study conservative parent rights movements like Moms for Liberty. The groups and rhetoric are most frequently found in politically purple or liberal areas where parents feel their voices are sidelined for more liberal agendas. 

Pushing back on diversity trainings they find divisive, for example, one parent asked: 鈥淪o you can pay to become a racist?鈥� in reference to a , voluntary workshop hosted by the teacher鈥檚 union entitled, 鈥淗olding the Weight of Whiteness.鈥�

Maron replied: 鈥淔or the bargain price of $25.鈥� 

In an exchange critiquing the United Federation of Teachers training on power dynamics in the classroom, Egorov said 鈥渢his is poisonous and it is destroying the country.鈥� She did not respond to requests for comment. 

Experts who study civil rights and freedom of speech in the U.S. have witnessed rhetoric throughout the country, but say there鈥檚 a key distinction at play here. 

鈥淚 think the most dangerous thing about these messages is who they’re coming from,鈥� said Maya Henson Carey, a researcher with the Southern Poverty Law Center, 鈥渂ecause these people have power to make change.鈥�  

On November 20, 2022, Egorov sent the WhatsApp group an explainer to help push back on social justice terms. The one pager defined diversity as 鈥渁n attack on merit and a form of soft bigotry,鈥� adding that accountability is 鈥渂ullying鈥� and 鈥渕ob rule.鈥� A parent immediately responded, 鈥渢his is good.鈥�

The Responding to Social Justice Rhetoric sheet was created in 2021 by a group of academics with the Oregon Association of Scholars, a chapter of the National Association of Scholars, known as a conservative group that has lobbied against diversity policies.

The worksheet serves as a 鈥渢ranslation guide,鈥� for anyone 鈥渉oodwinked by language鈥� said Peter Boghossian, one of its authors. 

The guide also defined inclusion as 鈥渞estricted speech and justification for purges,鈥� and a way to make 鈥減eople feel welcomed by banning anything they find offensive.鈥�

But inclusion for LGBTQ students is top of mind for many educators and families nationwide as the youth mental health crisis worsens. Queer kids, often ostracized from their homes or communities, are and foster care. They are also four times as likely than their peers to contemplate suicide, according to .

New York recently passed a safe haven law legally protecting trans students and their doctors introduced by state Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal. 

In the WhatsApp chat, both the law and Hoylman-Sigal were subject to explicit vitriol by prominent parent leaders. 

Chien Kwok, former District 2 CEC member and president of local nonprofit Parent Leaders for Accelerated Curriculum and Education, wrote, 鈥淚 would imagine Hoylman would have cut off his penis to transition if he was allowed to run away from his home state of West Virginia to NY. Do you think Hoylman or his husband would have regretted Hoylman being a eunuch?鈥�

Kwok responded to requests for comment by reiterating his question for the state senator and adding 鈥渢he radical transgender ideologies that [Hoylman-Sigal] supports and turned into law have harmed countless children and teens in the US and around the world.鈥� 

A few hours after Kwok鈥檚 original comment, Gutmann, a former NYC private school parent who denounced his , chimed in: what LGBTQ people and social justice 鈥渋deologues鈥� have in common is 鈥渘ot wanting children, which has made them anti-children (hence anti-family).鈥� 

Gutmann later told 社区黑料 that while the private messages were written 鈥渜uickly鈥� and 鈥渋n a casual tone,鈥� he stands by 鈥渆verything I have written in this and any other private chat group in which I have participated.鈥� 

Hoylman-Sigal said the 鈥渃ruel and frankly outrageous鈥� chat history makes clear that, locally, the CEC members are not able 鈥渢o safeguard learning for students. The disrespect and intolerance that is evident in these chats shows just the opposite. To them, LGBTQ kids, specifically transgender children, are second class.鈥� 

The logs are a 鈥渃all to action,鈥� he added, for CEC leaders, Banks, and parents to vote them out of office. 

Though the outcomes of recent school board elections nationwide show many parents disagree with conservative parent leaders鈥� emphasis on limiting classroom discussion of sex and gender, parent leaders like Gutmann, Kwok, Maron and Egorov have been hoping to expand their reach. 

鈥淲e need to organize ourselves to recruit CEC candidates so we can expand our influence and keep it where we have [a] majority,鈥� Egorov wrote to the group on January 1, 2022. 

They came close.  

Forty percent of Community Education Council members endorsed by PLACE, the conservative parent advocacy group co-founded by Maron and Kwok, .

Lawmakers and experts at local LGBTQ nonprofit are advocating for a new , sponsored by Hoylman-Sigal, requiring that all New York school districts establish policies to protect nonbinary and transgender students.