Short-Principles & Practices for Responding to an

Attack on Educators and Schools

• • Do No (more) Harm Do not act without approval of the person being attacked, either through direct contact or indirectly through a trusted source. Requests from the attacked party will change over time. They and the most affected communities should remain in the driver’s seat.
  • Influence the Narrative We can’t control what the opposition does, but we can influence how their actions are interpreted. Get strategic help to quickly write a statement that can be given to the media and allies, especially if the target isn’t able to give interviews. The narrative is established quickly – don’t let the opposition be unopposed during the short window of public attention.
  • Stay Nimble and Focused Remember the difference between a legal defense and a political defense and that they often contradict one another. What communities need and what activists want often differ. What we do to keep us safe and what we do to influence change frequently clash. Actions we take frequently elicit pushback from our attackers. For these reasons strategy should be emergent and not pre-programmed.
  • Power in Numbers Generally, defense should be as public as possible because educators and schools have much less power than their attackers in bilateral negotiations. Bring in unions, education advocacy groups, allied parents, and it helps to bring in Jewish allies. But being public introduces new risks to be managed. Establish a team to coordinate actions and communications.
  • Pain is Real Attacks cause real harm to the individual, their families and colleagues, their communities, and those who defend them. Ideally, the attacked party(ies) should not read any social media comments; others should screenshot them and consider blocking hostile commenters. The people in the movement who attend to the wellbeing of others in the movement play a vital role.
  • Document Everything. Download (to a safe computer) and use this “Attack Diary” to keep track of everything. Do this from day one in real time. Do not plan to fill it in later.
  • Share Learnings When something you do works or doesn’t work as you intended, keep track of what you learn so that you can share with other educators as needed.

  More information about how K-12 educators and librarians can defend themselves against false accusations of antisemitism can be found in this toolkit.

  Legal & Employment Guidance: Teach Truth: Know Your Rights FAQ a helpful guide by the NEA “What to know about your rights and protections regarding censorship and teaching about racism, sexism, and historical prejudice, sometimes incorrectly called “critical race theory.”‘

  When teaching about or advocating for Palestine, Educators Know Your Rights Infographic from TWM. Make sure to check with your specific state and school policies. This information comes from our webinar based off the lawyer panels response to questions. This does not replace real legal advice.

  If you have more resources you think should be included on this page please email us at info@droptheadlfromschools.org

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Calls to Action: Supporting Educators Under Attack

These calls to actions are created by the educator’s community. We are only attempting to amplify their calls. We know that our best defense is our ability to mobilize and protect one another.

If you are a concerned community member, please click the sheet above to see how you can support these amazingly brave and courageous educators.

• Are you are an educator or know an educator currently under attack by the ADL or their partners for their pro-Palestinian Advocacy?

• Do you have an update on one of these action items?