At a recent meeting of the United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA) House of Representatives, a public confrontation occurred that highlighted ongoing tensions surrounding allegations of antisemitism within the union and Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). Amy Leserman, a 25-year veteran educator and founder of Jewish Teachers Los Angeles (JewTLA), was formally denounced and asked to leave the virtual session. The incident took place during the final official UTLA meeting of the 2025-2026 school year.

Leserman, who identifies as a Zionist and has spent years working to address anti-Jewish harassment in LA schools, said her presence at the union meeting was solely to observe. She described being the subject of a sustained verbal attack lasting some 40 minutes, during which union members accused her of being a "racist Zionist," a "threat to free speech in the classroom," and an "enemy of unionism." Leserman characterized the episode as evidence of the hostility Jewish advocates face within the district’s educational and union environments.

Over the past five years, Leserman and JewTLA have focused on documenting and combating antisemitism in LA public schools. Their efforts include organizing Jewish educators and families, filing complaints under Title VI and Title VII of civil rights legislation, training educators on legal protections against discrimination, and submitting Public Records Act requests to uncover district practices. According to Leserman, these investigations have revealed that anti-Jewish bias in K-12 schools is systemic rather than a series of isolated incidents.

JewTLA operates alongside other organizations such as the Israeli-American Civic Action Network, the National Education Association Jewish Affairs Caucus, the Deborah Project, and legal advocacy groups like the Brandeis Center and Stand With Us. These groups pursue both legal action and legislative advocacy intended to address antisemitism in education at local and national levels. JewTLA also plans to present findings and propose actions during the upcoming National Education Association Representative Assembly in Denver.

Leserman noted that since UTLA President Cecily Myart-Cruz assumed leadership, the union’s approach toward Jewish advocacy has shifted from passive disregard to active opposition. The 40-minute denunciation on the Zoom call exemplifies this shift, she said, describing it as a coordinated effort by roughly 160 members who disregarded parliamentary procedures to target her.

The timing of the attack also drew attention. Five of the eight motions on the UTLA meeting agenda concerned Israel and Palestine, while none addressed key educator priorities such as contract approval or looming layoffs affecting more than 6,000 employees in the district.

Leserman emphasized that the increasingly hostile atmosphere reflects a broader pattern of Jewish educators raising their voices against antisemitism. Unlike traditional protests, much of this advocacy occurs quietly through legal complaints, coalition-building, education, and legislative efforts. The union opposition, she said, is a sign that Jewish advocacy is gaining influence and is taken seriously.

Despite the challenges, Leserman remains committed to continuing the work. She hopes that the visibility of Jewish educators and families advocating for safe and inclusive schools will lead to meaningful policy changes. "Jewish educators in this country are not going back to being quiet," she said.