Montgomery County school district seeks firing of principal for reported antisemitic comments
Philip Leddy, the principal of Lower Gwynedd Elementary School, allegedly made comments in a voicemail after he believed the phone call had ended, the Wissahickon School District said.
The superintendent of the Wissahickon School District in Montgomery County said Friday that she and other district leaders are recommending that an elementary school principal be fired after he allegedly was recorded in a voicemail to a parent making antisemitic comments.
Philip Leddy, the principal of Lower Gwynedd Elementary School, acknowledged to the district that he made the call, “thought the call had disconnected, and then continued talking,” Superintendent Mwenyewe Dawan said in a statement Friday to the Wissahickon schools community.
“He confirmed he had made some remarks he knew were not appropriate. In the call, the principal can be heard making antisemitic comments and speaking disparagingly about the parent to another staff member who was in the office at the time,” Dawan said.
The district leadership “moved swiftly with immediate action to start the process seeking the principal’s termination,” said Dawan, who also spoke at a news conference Friday afternoon with Amy Ginsburg, president of the district’s school board.
“Wissahickon is no place for hate. This is a community where all students are welcomed and where safety and well-being truly is our priority,” Ginsburg said.
“We cannot and will not allow this to divide us,” Ginsburg said later.
Leddy, who became the principal at Lower Gwynedd in 2023, could not be reached for comment Friday.
While the district is pursuing his termination, Leddy is required under state law to have a due-process hearing, which is scheduled for Monday, Dawan said.
The other staff member present for Leddy’s comments and who allegedly did not report them or take any other action has been placed on administrative leave pending further investigation, Dawan said.
“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. This incident underscores concerns for broader, systemic issues related to antisemitism that must be examined and addressed,” Dawan said.
The Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia said in a statement Friday that in the recording, Leddy was heard saying something about “Jew money” and that “they [Jews] control the banks.” Leddy was asked if the parent was a lawyer and then remarked, “the odds probably are good.”
“These are deeply rooted antisemitic tropes that have historically been used to demean, marginalize, and endanger Jewish people,” the federation said.
The district must apply accountability and transparency to its investigation and response, the federation said, and engage directly with the Jewish community and commit to education and training about antisemitism.
The district recently faced criticism from Jewish parents over a booth run by a Muslim student group at a district cultural fair in late November that included, among other things, the flag used to represent Palestinian people and the state of Palestine.
At the time, Dawan acknowledged the concerns of the Jewish parents and also noted that some Muslim students reported feeling unsafe after the controversy gained wider attention.
On Friday, Dawan said the district will ensure that counselors are available on Monday for students and staff. She said the district will communicate additional information in the coming weeks, including more about steps being taken and further staff training.