A parent has raised concerns regarding alleged antisemitic comments made by a teacher at Dickinson High School in Dickinson, Texas, during a classroom lesson.
The incident involves Talya Hayoun, a 14-year-old Israeli freshman at the school, who said she was targeted by her teacher.
According to Talya, she walked into her English class one day to find a surprising message on the whiteboard. The message displayed the popular pro-Palestinian mantra, “No justice, no peace. Justice for Palestine.”
This message was not part of the day’s lesson, leaving Talya to believe that it was an opportunity for her teacher to express her personal opinion on the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict.
She said the teacher then asked her where she was from. “She said, ‘Oh, you still have family in Israel?’ I said, ‘Yes, of course. All my family is over there. And I’m from there too,’” the young girl revealed.
Talya’s parents were understandably outraged when they heard about their daughter’s experience, as her father, Benjamin Hayoun, questioned the purpose of the teacher’s actions.
“What is the benefit here? What is the purpose here? Someone needs to take responsibility here about this situation here because my daughter, she is not at fault that she is Israeli,” he stated.
Texas parents say teacher singled out Israeli daughter to make pro-Palestinian comment https://t.co/k0pbDnMWGP
— Fox News (@FoxNews) November 17, 2023
The Hayoun family filed a formal complaint with both the school district and the Dickinson Independent School District, as the incident left Talya feeling scared and isolated, as she is the only Israeli student in her public high school.
“I’m really, really scared. I’m the only Israeli at school. No one is Jewish over there. They made me feel guilty that I’m Jewish and that I’m from Israel,” she said.
Dickinson ISD said it is investigating the complaints, as a spokesperson for the school district stated, “Dickinson ISD is aware of a situation on Thursday morning involving a Dickinson High School English teacher who parents have said wrote a statement on the board related to the Israeli and Palestine war. The parents have met with high school administration, and the district is investigating the situation.”
