America's largest teachers' union rejects proposal to ban ADL materials
Why it matters: The rejection comes after nearly 400 Jewish groups urged the National Education Association (NEA) committee to reject a plan to no longer to use ADL material on antisemitism or Holocaust education.
Driving the news: NEA President Becky Pringle said in a statement late Friday that the executive committee voted not to adopt the proposal "following the culmination of a thorough review process" under union rules.
"It was determined that this proposal would not further NEA's commitment to academic freedom," she said.
Pringle said rejecting the proposal wasn't an endorsement of the ADL's "full body of work" but acknowledged the rise of antisemitism.
Catch up quick: NEA members voted last week to cut ties with the ADL at the 2025 Representative Assembly in Portland, Oregon.
"NEA will not use, endorse, or publicize any materials from the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), such as its curricular materials or its statistics," according to the proposal text.
"NEA will not participate in ADL programs or publicize ADL professional development offerings."
The members brought the proposal following criticism of the ADL for categorizing campus protests over the war in Gaza as antisemitic.
Zoom out: After the vote, the proposal was sent to NEA's executive committee and met with strong opposition from Jewish groups.
The groups wanted the NEA to issue a strong statement against antisemitism, which the organizations say is behind the proposal.
Pringle then met with ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt "to clarify NEA's process and restate our commitment to combating the rise of antisemitism in our society."
State of play: The ADL has also come under criticism from progressive-leaning and Reform Jewish leaders over the accuracy of its annual antisemitic incidents report.
They say ADL unfairly lists criticizing the Israeli government's treatment of Palestinians as antisemitic.
The ADL defends its report and has pointed to antisemitic verbal attacks on some Jewish students during campus demonstrations.
What they're saying: ""We welcome the NEA Executive Committee and Board of Directors' decision to reject this misguided resolution that is rooted in exclusion and othering, and promoted for political reasons," Greenblatt said in a joint statement with the leaders of other Jewish organizations.
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