NYC Teacher Told to Stop Wearing 'Proud Zionist' T-Shirt Because It's 'Politically Explosive'

The Department of Education’s Office supported the school principal's decision to ban the teacher from wearing his T-shirt, saying that "schools are not public forums for advancing personal political views."

Jeffrey Levy, an English as a Second Language teacher at MS 51 in Brooklyn, NYC filed a discrimination complaint for not being allowed to wear his self-made pro-Israel T-shirt featuring the Star of David, the New York Post reported.

According to the paper, Levy was ordered by school Principal Neal Singh to stop wearing his “Proud Zionist” t-shirt in the building, although other staffers have worn shirts mentioning BLM and feminism.

“Singh told me that my T-shirt with an Israeli flag on it and the words ‘Proud Zionist’ were politically explosive’...Singh has permitted other staff to wear attire with ‘Black Lives Matter,’ ‘Feminism is the radical idea that women are people,’ ‘Feminist’ and ‘O’Connor & Ginsburg & Sotomayor & Kagan,’ ” Levy said in his complaint filed with the city Department of Education’s Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity.

“Singh’s definition of politically explosive attire appears limited to Jews only,” the teacher concluded.

When asked by the New York Post to comment on the issue, the Department of Education issued a statement, backing Singh for telling Levy to stop wearing that T-shirt.

“Schools are not public forums for advancing personal political views, and per Department of Education regulations, employees are prohibited from using schools for the purpose of political expression...This principal’s request followed complaints from students and staff and is consistent with policies around political neutrality in schools,” DOE spokeswoman Katie O’Hanlon said, as quoted by the New York Post.

The head of the anti-Semitism group and former state Assemblyman Dov Hikind sent a letter to schools Chancellor Meisa Ross Porter defending Leby's right to wear his T-shirt and accusing the school's principal of “double standards."

"How insulting. This is sick. This is pathetic. This is anti-Semitic...You can’t say you’re a proud Jew and supportive of the people and the State of Israel? There should be one standard for all...", Hikind was quoted by the tabloid.