Just a few weeks before he died, Albert Shanker, the long-time head of the United Federation of Teachers (UFT), impugned the good will of Roman Catholics and Orthodox Jews by making a derogatory statement about both groups. In speaking about his decision to rethink the right of communist teachers to be in the classroom (he was previously opposed), Shanker remarked that communists have no monopoly on blind obedience and robotic thinking. “Take Orthodox Jews and Catholics, for example,” he said.
The league sent a letter stating its objections to Sandra Feldman, president of the UFT. We branded Shanker’s comment as “pure, unadulterated bigotry.”
