A public school teacher in New York City is facing scrutiny after participating last week in an anti-Israel demonstration that disrupted a memorial for victims of the October 7 massacre at Union Square in Manhattan. During the protest, some participants waved Hamas and Hezbollah flags and chanted slogans including “globalize the intifada,” the New York Post reported Sunday.
2+Mia Kurzer, a special education teacher at a school in East Harlem, was filmed sitting among protesters who took over seats designated for memorial attendees while their chants drowned out the reading of victims’ names. A formal complaint has been filed against her with the New York City Department of Education, demanding an investigation into her conduct.
The complaint was filed by Moshe Shpran, a Jewish activist and educator, who argued that Kurzer’s behavior creates a hostile environment for Jewish students and staff at her school. According to Shpran, the protesters seized seats intended for memorial participants—including Mayor Zohran Mamdani and former city official Brad Lander—and disrupted the event.
2+Footage from the event shows Kurzer sitting among the protesters as chants supporting Hamas and the massacre perpetrators filled the air. “She felt comfortable sitting next to Hamas flags and hearing calls of support for the organization,” Shpran said.
The complaint also alleges that earlier that day, Kurzer arrived at school wearing a keffiyeh, which Shpran claims caused discomfort among students and staff. Shpran criticized her conduct, arguing it constitutes political expression inside a public school.
2+This isn’t the first time Kurzer’s name has been linked to anti-Israel protests. Shpran claimed the teacher also participated in demonstrations outside the Park East Synagogue in Manhattan in November 2025 and May 2026, where protesters allegedly chanted slogans like “intifada revolution,” “globalize the intifada,” and “death to the IDF,” and blocked Jewish worshippers from entering the synagogue.
Shpran said he previously contacted the Department of Education about the matter but received no response. He’s now demanding a formal investigation, arguing this isn’t a one-time incident but a pattern of behavior.
NYC teacher among protesters who disrupted vigil for victims of Oct. 7 Hamas massacre https://t.co/xjdKpUaQi7
— New York Post (@nypost) October 12, 2026
Kurzer participated in anti-Israel protests during her time as a student at the University of Wisconsin. In 2024, she told CNN she’s Jewish and studied Judaism in her childhood. Her participation in the protests drew criticism, with some detractors claiming she’s “not a real Jew.”
Kurzer declined to comment on the allegations. Shpran emphasized: “Jewish students and staff deserve to learn and work in a school that doesn’t employ someone who participates in protests outside synagogues and then shows up at school on the anniversary of the October 7 massacre wearing a political symbol.”