“The last thing [unions] should do is violate the rights of the very people whose rights they exist to protect.”
The US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has opened an investigation into the National Education Association (NEA) following a discrimination charge alleging the nation's largest teachers union subjected Jewish educators to antisemitic harassment, denied leadership opportunities, and fostered a hostile environment for Jewish members.
The charge was filed by The Louis D. Brandeis Center Coalition to Combat Anti-Semitism, which alleges the NEA violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act by discriminating against Jewish members based on religion, ancestry, and national origin. According to the complaint, the EEOC's Washington Field Office has already begun gathering evidence and communicating with the Brandeis Center regarding the allegations.
"The last thing [unions] should do is violate the rights of the very people whose rights they exist to protect," said Kenneth Marcus, chairman and CEO of the Brandeis Center and former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Education. Marcus said the organization is working with EEOC investigators to provide documents, witness information, and other evidence supporting what it describes as "pervasive anti-Semitism" within the union.
The complaint cites a series of incidents and policies that it claims contributed to a hostile environment for Jewish educators. Among the allegations are that the NEA removed references to Jews as the primary victims of the Holocaust in union materials, distributed a map that omitted the State of Israel, and maintained policies that allegedly limited opportunities for Jewish members to participate in leadership, governance, mentorship, and training programs.
The filing also focuses heavily on events at the NEA's 2025 Representative Assembly in Portland, Oregon. According to the complaint, Jewish delegates were subjected to harassment and intimidation by anti-Israel activists, with some reportedly relocating within the convention hall because they felt unsafe. The charge further alleges that when a Jewish delegate referenced the murder of an 82-year-old Holocaust survivor who died following an antisemitic attack in Boulder, Colorado, portions of the crowd responded with laughter and applause.
The Brandeis Center also claims Jewish Affairs Caucus members were physically surrounded and disrupted while attempting to commemorate the caucus's 50th anniversary and that NEA leadership failed to intervene despite repeated complaints. The filing alleges the union reduced security measures at the event despite concerns raised by Jewish attendees about harassment and possible violence.
Beyond the Representative Assembly, the complaint challenges NEA bylaws and governance rules that require various levels of ethnic-minority representation in leadership positions and delegate bodies. The Brandeis Center argues that the policies effectively classify many Jewish members as "White" and deny them opportunities available through minority-designated programs and positions.
The complaint asks the EEOC to find probable cause that the NEA engaged in unlawful discrimination, subjected Jewish members to a hostile environment, and implemented policies that unlawfully classify members based on race and ethnicity. It also seeks reforms, including adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's working definition of antisemitism, mandatory training, and independent oversight of discrimination complaints.
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