Brief
NYC teacher accused of disrupting Union Square vigil for Oct. 7 victims
Mia Kurzer, a special‑education teacher, was among protesters who interrupted a candlelight vigil for Oct. 7 victims, according to a complaint filed with the city’s Department of Education.
By Felo News Desk · Published
A New York City public‑school teacher was filmed taking part in a protest that disrupted a Union Square vigil honoring victims of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack in Israel, a complaint to the Department of Education shows.
What happened
On Oct. 7, 2026, a candlelight vigil organized by Israelis for Peace was held in Union Square. According to the complaint, protesters overran the event, drowned out the reading of victims’ names, and occupied chairs reserved for officials such as Comptroller Brad Lander and Mayor Zohran Mamdani. Video evidence cited in the complaint shows Mia Kurzer, a special‑education teacher at The Heritage School in East Harlem, sitting among demonstrators holding Hamas and Hezbollah flags and chanting slogans like “globalize the intifada.”
What the reports add
The New York Post reports that the complaint was filed by Moshe Spern, a Jewish activist and educator, who also alleges that Kurzer attended earlier protests outside Park East Synagogue in November 2025 and May 2026, where chants included “intifada revolution” and “death to the IDF.” Spern says the Department of Education ignored his prior complaint about those synagogue protests, which he says were condemned by Governor Kathy Hochul.
What was said
“Last night, pro‑Palestinian demonstrators overran an October 7 vigil … and took over chairs reserved for participants, including Comptroller Brad Lander and Mayor Zohran Mamdani,” Spern wrote in the Oct. 8 complaint. He added, “She was comfortable sitting among the Hamas flags and Hamas chants.” The Post notes that Kurzer had worn a keffiyeh to school earlier that day, which Spern said “made staff and students uncomfortable and signaled political activism inside a New York City public school.”
How it came about
The incident follows a series of high‑profile protests in New York City surrounding the anniversary of the Oct. 7 attacks, including the mayor being heckled at a Union Square vigil (Felo coverage) and campus walkouts at NYU and Columbia (Felo coverage). The Department of Education has previously been urged to investigate teachers for conduct that creates a hostile environment for Jewish students and staff.
Key facts
- Mia Kurzer, a special‑education teacher at The Heritage School, was filmed at the Union Square vigil. (nypost.com)
- The vigil was disrupted by protesters chanting “globalize the intifada” and displaying Hamas and Hezbollah flags. (nypost.com)
- Moshe Spern filed a complaint with the NYC Department of Education alleging a pattern of anti‑Israel activity by Kurzer. (nypost.com)
- Kurzer allegedly wore a keffiyeh to school earlier that day, prompting discomfort among staff and students. (nypost.com)
- The complaint references earlier protests outside Park East Synagogue in Nov 2025 and May 2026. (nypost.com)
Sources
- [1] nypost.com — originally reported as “Exclusive | NYC teacher among protesters who disrupted vigil for victims of Oct. 7 Hamas massacre”
