(José Niño, Headline USA) A Montgomery County, Pennsylvania elementary school principal is staring down the end of his tenure after a voicemail captured what district leaders and Jewish community advocates describe as antisemitic stereotyping, according to reporting from the JTA.
The principal, Philip Leddy of Lower Gwynedd Elementary School, acknowledged to the Wissahickon School District that he made the remarks after leaving a voicemail for a Jewish parent and believing the call had disconnected, as described in the district’s parent email.
According to the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia, the recording includes references to “Jew camp,” claims that the parent has “Jew money,” and the assertion that “they control the banks.” When asked whether the parent was a lawyer, Leddy responded, “the odds are probably good.”
Jewish Federation leaders sharply condemned the incident.“What is most concerning is not only the language itself, but the mindset it reflects,” the federation wrote in a statement. “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.”
District Superintendent Mwenyewe Dawan told families that administrators recommended Leddy’s termination, pending an “informal private hearing on Monday morning,” and confirmed that Leddy was placed on administrative leave. Dawan also said another staff member heard on the call was put on paid administrative leave while the district investigates.
“The fact that any employees entrusted with the care and well-being of students could make, or passively tolerate, such remarks raise concerns that extend beyond the conduct of a single individual,” wrote Dawan. “This incident underscores concerns for broader, systemic issues related to antisemitism that must be examined and addressed.”
The parent, who requested anonymity, told 6ABC that the call came in response to an email about an incident involving his daughter. “I couldn’t believe it, like I was seeing Jew this, Jew that, and I was thinking, ‘This can’t be the principal leaving a voicemail,’” the parent said.
Rabbi Kevin Lefkowitz of Tiferet Bet Israel said Leddy’s rhetoric had “boiled my blood.” “He’s in charge of keeping our kids safe. For it to come out of his mouth so carelessly, so easily, it boiled my blood,” Lefkowitz added.
In the days after the voicemail became public, the school board voted to fire Leddy, according to local coverage from NBC10 Philadelphia and reports by CBS News.
The episode lands amid heightened scrutiny of antisemitism in schools. In late November, the House Education and Workforce Committee opened an investigation into allegations of antisemitism in the School District of Philadelphia. And Pennsylvania recorded 465 antisemitic incidents in 2024, an 18 percent increase from 2023, according to ADL reporting summarized in its annual audit and local coverage.
ADL Philadelphia regional director Andrew Goretsky said, “No one promoting antisemitic rhetoric should be leading and teaching our children,” adding, “We are urging them to fully investigate the situation, take the appropriate systemic action, and meet with Jewish families to begin the process of rebuilding trust.”
Dawan also noted the district’s partnership with the ADL for trainings and urged the community not to paint all staff with the same brush. ‘While this incident is clearly deeply damaging, upsetting, and concerning, it is important to remember that our staff as a whole are deeply caring, respectful, and sensitive,” wrote Dawan. “I do not believe the actions and words of this principal reflect the views of our staff. One person’s hateful actions should not negatively impact the way our community views the rest of our staff.”
José Niño is the deputy editor of Headline USA. Follow him at x.com/JoseAlNino
