Pa. elementary school principal fired after antisemitic remarks on recording

A school district in Montgomery County says their elementary school principal is being let go after being heard on a recording making antisemitic remarks.

The Wissahickon School District send out a letter to parents saying that the principal of Lower Gwynedd Elementary School Philip Leddy self-reported the issue.

District superintendent Dr. Mwenyewe Dawan says that Leddy was leaving a voicemail for a parent when he thought the call was disconnected and then engaged in a conversation with a staffer.

It’s that conversation that was recorded antisemitic remarks were allegedly made.

That school staffer is on administrative leave and the future of their employment is still up in the air, according to the district.

As for Principal Leddy, efforts are underway to terminate him with a hearing scheduled for Monday, Dec. 22.

The Wissahickon School District said that it partnered with the Anti-Defamation League and faith leaders to work to head off issues like these and has offered staff training with the intention of continuing that work.

“No one promoting antisemitic rhetoric should be leading and teaching our children. ADL Philadelphia has worked with the Wissahickon School District administration over the years, and we are relieved that the district is working quickly to address alleged antisemitic statements made by a school administrator. We are urging them to fully investigate the situation, take appropriate systemic action, and meet with Jewish families to begin the process of rebuilding trust,” ADL Philadelphia’s senior regional director Dr. Andrew Goretsky wrote in a statement.

The superintendent says that this incident is concerning, but she believes the majority of staffers are loving and caring. She said that this case does not reflect the entire school community.

“What is most concerning is not only the language itself, but the mindset it reflects. The comments rely on well-known antisemitic stereotypes that reduce a parent to caricature and signal hostility rather than respect. For a family entrusting their child to a school community, hearing this kind of language, particularly from a principal, is profoundly unsettling,” the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia wrote in a statement.

NBC10 reached out to Leddy and is waiting to hear back.