Union officials at a prominent New York legal aid organization promoted an “anti-Semitic toxic environment,” according to a federal discrimination complaint filed Wednesday. Jewish employees at the New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG) say they were forced to work near cubicles decorated with pro-Hamas posters supporting terrorism and calling for “intifada.”
Filed with the National Labor Relations Board and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the complaint alleges that union leaders from A Better NYLAG (ABN)—the organization’s employee union—defended slogans including “ABOLISH THE SETTLER STATE,” “LONG LIVE THE RESISTANCE!,” and “INTIFADA NOW.” These slogans, Jewish employees say, support the destruction of Israel and celebrate terrorist violence.
Despite NYLAG’s internal policies prohibiting such displays, ABN officials opposed management’s attempts to remove the pro-Hamas posters and imagery. The union even filed an unfair labor practice allegation against NYLAG and staged an in-office protest. During that protest, union members “wore their keffiyehs and flew flags in solidarity with Palestinians,” according to the complaint.
The anti-Israel rhetoric escalated shortly after the October 7, 2023, Hamas terror attacks. ABN issued a public statement accusing Israel of committing “war crimes against Palestinians,” inflaming tensions within the workplace.
Jewish employees repeatedly alerted NYLAG management about their concerns, describing the work environment as threatening and emotionally distressing. One employee’s email cited in the complaint said, “As a Jew, I feel threatened when I see these and depressed that they surround my workplace.” The message included images of posters reading “From the U.S. to Palestine, Abolish the Settler State” and “Respect existence or expect resistance.”
Kenneth L. Marcus, chairman of the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law, condemned the union’s behavior: “Jewish American union members, like all other working people, are entitled to union representation that supports them fairly and equally against toxic environments,” he said. “In this case, the union actually made things worse, actively attempting to block management efforts to address a workplace that had been made inhospitable for Jewish workers. This is exactly the opposite of what unions should be doing.”
