UN School in New York Investigates Swastikas and Hate Messages in Middle School Yearbooks

The United Nations International School in New York, known as UNIS, has opened an internal investigation after hate speech was printed in middle school yearbooks. Parents who contacted ynet said the books included swastikas and homophobic remarks, and described the incident as part of a broader pattern that raises serious concerns about how the prestigious school handles antisemitism on its campus.

UNIS president Lupe-Todd Medina told ynet, “We are appalled by the hate speech found in the middle school yearbooks and unequivocally condemn identity-based harm.” She said that once the school learned of the incident, administrators immediately confiscated the remaining yearbooks and launched a comprehensive investigation. “Hate speech violates our core mission, and we are committed to addressing this matter with the utmost seriousness, while reinforcing our expectations for respect, responsibility and inclusion,” she said.

Jewish and Israeli parents said they were angry and did not trust the school’s response. Israeli diplomats whose children study there said they expect a school that bears the UN name and promotes tolerance, equality and mutual respect to be fully transparent, not rely on vague statements about “identity-based harm.” One parent said, “We are no longer surprised by anything,” adding that such incidents can no longer be dismissed as isolated mistakes but point to a deeper problem that requires a real investigation.

The latest case comes months after a separate incident in which a swastika was reported in the boys’ locker room. The school serves children of diplomats, UN employees and wealthy families in New York, and tuition is about $50,000 a year. The developments also come amid a lawsuit filed earlier this year by Nadine Sabag, a Jewish French teacher who worked at UNIS for 30 years, alleging the school had become a hostile environment for Jews and Israelis and had ignored complaints about antisemitism and workplace harassment. The suit included claims of anti-Jewish comments, demands that an Israeli teacher answer for Israel, AI-generated images of Israeli soldiers shooting children, and peace-wall materials linking to pro-Hamas groups. UNIS denied the allegations and said it strongly rejects the “baseless accusations,” which it said would be addressed in court.