Teachers' union NEA members endorse cutting ties with ADL
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Becky Pringle, president of the National Education Association, speaks on the final night of the Democratic National Convention in August 2024. Photo: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images
Members of the National Education Association (NEA), the nation's largest teachers' union, have voted to sever ties with the civil rights group Anti-Defamation League (ADL) over the war in Gaza.
Why it matters: The member-backed measure calls for the union to no longer use ADL material on antisemitism and Holocaust education, nor will it promote other ADL statistics or programs.
Driving the news: The proposal was adopted by NEA delegates at the 2025 Representative Assembly this week in Portland, Oregon.
- However, because it was determined to be a "sanction item," it is an automatic referral to the NEA Executive Committee, an NEA spokesperson told Axios.
- "Therefore, the official action on (proposal) is adopted and referred to committee," a spokesperson said.
Zoom in: According to the proposal text, "NEA will not use, endorse, or publicize any materials from the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), such as its curricular materials or its statistics."
- In addition, "NEA will not participate in ADL programs or publicize ADL professional development offerings," the measure read.
Context: The ADL has provided public schools with materials about the Holocaust, anti-hate training and antisemitism for four decades.
- It also provides an annual report on antisemitism in the U.S., which can also be shared in schools.
Caveat: If the NEA Executive Committee adopts the ADL ban, schools can still use ADL material.
Yes, but: It sets up potential future showdowns with local NEA unions and school districts if the war in Gaza continues.
What they're saying: "With antisemitism at record high levels, it is profoundly disturbing that a group of NEA activists would brazenly attempt to further isolate their Jewish colleagues and push a radical, antisemitic agenda on students," an ADL spokesperson told Axios in a statement.
- "We will not be cowed for supporting Israel, and we will not be deterred from our work reaching millions of students with educational programs every year."
- The ADL said it will continue to call out antisemitism and prioritize supporting Jewish students and educators "when they are attacked and scapegoated."
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, said it welcomed the NEA vote due to concerns over ADL's "anti-Palestinian bias."
- "This principled move is a significant step toward fostering respect for the rights and dignity of all students in public schools, who must receive an education without facing biased, politically-driven agendas," CAIR said.
Between the lines: It is the latest episode of historic liberal-leaning groups and unions at odds over the war in Gaza, support for Israel and interpretations of antisemitism.
- Earlier this year, a union representing over 30,000 faculty and staff at the City University of New York (CUNY) passed a resolution to divest its union funds from Israeli companies and government bonds.
- Last year, the San Francisco Unified School District held mandatory antisemitism training for staff at four high schools, prompting the teachers' union, United Educators of San Francisco, to state that it would support any educator who chose to opt out of the mandatory training.
What we're watching: The NEA Executive Committee will have a final say on the measure.
- How it votes could give a preview of boiling tensions between Democratic-leaning unions and some Jewish voters, who are largely Democrats, ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
