America's largest teachers' union rejects proposal to ban ADL materials
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ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt speaks at Javits Center on March 3, 2025, in New York City. Photo: Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for Anti-Defamation League
An executive committee of the nation's largest teachers' union rejected a member-approved proposal to sever ties with the civil rights group Anti-Defamation League (ADL) over the war in Gaza.
Why it matters: The rejection comes after nearly 400 Jewish groups urged the National Education Association (NEA) committee to reject a plan to no longer to use ADL material on antisemitism or Holocaust education.
Driving the news: NEA President Becky Pringle said in a statement late Friday that the executive committee voted not to adopt the proposal "following the culmination of a thorough review process" under union rules.
- "It was determined that this proposal would not further NEA's commitment to academic freedom," she said.
- Pringle said rejecting the proposal wasn't an endorsement of the ADL's "full body of work" but acknowledged the rise of antisemitism.
Catch up quick: NEA members voted last week to cut ties with the ADL at the 2025 Representative Assembly in Portland, Oregon.
- "NEA will not use, endorse, or publicize any materials from the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), such as its curricular materials or its statistics," according to the proposal text.
- "NEA will not participate in ADL programs or publicize ADL professional development offerings."
- The members brought the proposal following criticism of the ADL for categorizing campus protests over the war in Gaza as antisemitic.
Zoom out: After the vote, the proposal was sent to NEA's executive committee and met with strong opposition from Jewish groups.
- The groups wanted the NEA to issue a strong statement against antisemitism, which the organizations say is behind the proposal.
- Pringle then met with ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt "to clarify NEA's process and restate our commitment to combating the rise of antisemitism in our society."
State of play: The ADL has also come under criticism from progressive-leaning and Reform Jewish leaders over the accuracy of its annual antisemitic incidents report.
- They say ADL unfairly lists criticizing the Israeli government's treatment of Palestinians as antisemitic.
- The ADL defends its report and has pointed to antisemitic verbal attacks on some Jewish students during campus demonstrations.
What they're saying: ""We welcome the NEA Executive Committee and Board of Directors' decision to reject this misguided resolution that is rooted in exclusion and othering, and promoted for political reasons," Greenblatt said in a joint statement with the leaders of other Jewish organizations
Yes, but: "It's possible to disagree with ADL without cutting off all engagement — which would undercut our shared goals of countering antisemitism and broader hate and bias," Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA) CEO Amy Spitalnick said in a statement.
