The Canary Mission, an organization that monitors antisemitism in the United States, has identified multiple educators employed at public schools across Philadelphia that have publicly pushed pro-Hamas, anti-Israel messaging on social media or participated in events advocating for the same principles.
One educator identified by the watchdog, Hannah Gann, is employed at The Workshop School, which is a project-based high school in Philadelphia.
Gann, according to the organization, spoke at a pro-Hamas protest in December where she glorified “children engaging in violence and spread hatred of Israel and the police.“
In a now-deleted social media video, the schoolteacher openly supported Hamas at a rally, declaring, “When a Palestinian child picks up a rock…in the face of Israel…machine guns…We owe them to take it to these streets and f*** the police until Palestine is free.”
In addition to her participation in the hate-fueled rally, the watchdog also reviewed Gann’s social media, which is “filled with hateful posts against Jews and Israel” as well as hate against America and the police.
In one post reviewed by the watchdog, Gann shared a post showing a burning McDonald’s with the caption, “Inspiring me to start a 2024 vision board,” linking to a site listing Jewish-owned businesses for targeting.
Another post by the schoolteacher declared, “Until the Israeli regime’s genocidal assault on Gaza stops, we should keep protesting and disrupting in every way possible. This is today’s lesson.”
The watchdog notes that despite Gann’s speech being reported to the assistant superintendent, no action was taken against her.
Gann’s speech and social media posts are not the only acts of antisemitism surrounding The Workshop School, as the watchdog also reports that the school has seen a student performing a “Heil Hitler” salute directed at a Jewish teacher.
Another educator employed at a Philadelphia public school exposed for their hateful rhetoric towards Israel is Keziah Ridgeway, a social studies teacher at Northeast High School in Philadelphia.
Ridgeway (pictured above), according to the watchdog, has consistently used inflammatory and divisive language like “genocide,” “colonialist,” and “apartheid” to describe Israel through social media posts.
In addition to social media posts, Ridgeway has also attended and promoted rallies such as “Flood Philly for Gaza” that openly call for Israel’s annihilation.
Ridgeway has also been documented at such rallies chanting slogans including “Zionists aren’t welcome here” and “From the River to the Sea,” advocating for the eradication of Israel.
The watchdog said Ridgeway has also pushed “false claims about Israel bombing Al-Shifa Hospital, spreading debunked propaganda,” citing one post where the schoolteacher shared a video featuring both a swastika and a photograph of Hitler.
The Canary Mission’s deep dive into the hateful messaging being pushed by educators across the nation and in Pennsylvania comes at a time when lawmakers of the Keystone State are attempting to revive a school voucher program that would award scholarships to low-income students attending underperforming public schools.
The Pennsylvania Award for Student Success (PASS) scholarship program would provide low-income students with scholarships ranging from $2,500 to $10,000 and up to $15,000 for special education.
While the Pennsylvania Senate approved a budget with $100 million allocated for the PASS program last year, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro said he would veto such an allocation of funds for the voucher program after previously expressing support for it.
Advocates of school voucher programs argue that such scholarships give families the financial freedom to pursue alternative educational options that they believe would better suit their students’ needs – when it comes to both academics and values.
A recent poll conducted by the Commonwealth Foundation found that 77 percent of registered voters in Pennsylvania support the PASS scholarship program – including 94 percent of black voters and 83 percent of voters with an annual income below $40,000.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Pennsylvania Daily Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
Photo “Keziah Ridgeway” by Keziah Ridgeway.
