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video circulated on TikTok at the end of last November, showing the surprising extent of students' protests against a teacher at Hillcrest High School in Jamaica, Queens. It all started when a female teacher expressed support for Israel by changing her social media profile picture while holding a sign that read "I support Israel." She was then targeted by unknown individuals through social media.
Muhammad Ghazali, the Senior Class President, tolded reporters, " It was meant to be a peaceful protest from the very beginning. However, some of these students were lacked of maturity." leading to unwanted incidents.
David Banks, the NYC school principal, mentioned that around 30% of the students at Hillcrest are Muslim, and they feel a "sense of kinship with the Palestinian community." In a conversation with one student, Banks learned that many young people are informed about the Middle East conflict not from news organizations but through social media platforms like TikTok.
He stressed that students and other staff should be free to express their views while avoiding the spread of hatred. Banks stated that they are working to create an inclusive environment. In response to the incident, the school has taken disciplinary actions against some students, including suspension penalties.