The ADL is not a Social Justice Partner.

At last year’s national Representative Assembly of the National Education Association, a motion was passed on the floor for the NEA to cease using, promoting, or publishing educational materials created by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) in light of that organization’s recent efforts to weaponize charges of antisemitism to silence criticism of Israel’s genocide in Gaza, among other anti-social justice and anti-free speech activities. However, the NEA’s Executive Committee used an executive maneuver to overrule this democratic decision by its membership. Vermont School Workers United is asking all NEA members to sign this open letter to the Vermont-NEA Board of Directors. 

The ADL has long marketed itself as an expert advisor to school communities on antisemitism and other forms of bias. Despite its reputation as a civil rights organization, the ADL is not the social justice educational partner it claims to be. 

The ADL is a divisive political interest group that:

• Restricts genuine inquiry in classrooms with pedagogy and content that leave little room for truly questioning assumptions and debating diverse perspectives on a wide range of topics;

• Distorts the definition of “antisemitism” in ways that stoke fear among many Jews and pit Jewish comfort against Palestinian rights;

• Attacks schools, educators, and students with bad-faith accusations of antisemitism in order to silence and punish constitutionally-protected criticism of Israel and the political ideology of Zionism.

We call on the wider community to join in nationwide efforts to drop the ADL from schools by taking the following actions:  

1. Cut all ties with the ADL, including use or endorsement of their curricular materials, participation in their programs, and engagement in their professional development offerings;

2. End contracts with the ADL as consultants on diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice (DEIJ) policy, programming, or bias incident response – even when services are offered free of  charge;

3. Stop referencing the ADL’s discredited statistics, and stop sending data or information of any kind to the ADL;

4. Ensure that all your institutional relationships and contracts truly uphold and promote principles of equality and dignity for all students who may be the targets of racism or bigotry of any kind.

Organizations, groups, and schools to sign on to the Drop The ADL Campaign.

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Check out these articles for more information on the ADL:

• Educators Beware: The Anti-Defamation League Is Not the Social Justice Partner It Claims to Be

• The Guardian – Anti-Defamation League staff decry ‘dishonest’ campaign against Israel critics

• Jewish Currents - Examining the ADL’s Antisemitism Audit 

Antisemitism is a significant issue. Here are some resources to use to tackle it instead of the ADL:

• Jews for Racial & Economic Justice - Organizing Against Antisemitism 

• Hazing, Harassment & Bully Toolkit

• Western States Center - Confronting White Nationalism in Schools

We call on VT-NEA members to sign this letter urging the Vermont-NEA to reaffirm its commitment to the academic freedom of teachers to teach the truth unhindered by the censorship imposed by biased political organizations. We call on the wider community join the #DroptheADL Campaign.