NFT to Respond to Alleged Shoving Incident at News Conference

The Neshaminy Federation of Teachers will be holding a press conference this evening prior to the to respond to an alleged shoving incident that took place Friday, September 23 at Neshaminy High School.

According to a NFT press release, a ranking member of the NFT was allegedly shoved by a school secretary during an altercation in the main office of the high school. The NFT member filed an incident report Monday with the Middletown Township Police Department and is consulting with NFT attorneys on options for filing harassment charges or seeking a restraining order against the alleged attacker.

"The alleged shoving incident is one of several increasingly dangerous acts against members of the NFT who have been locked in a protracted four-year contract battle with the Neshaminy School District," as stated in the release.

Also according to the release, NFT leadership has made numerous requests to the district "to speak out against increasingly dangerous public rhetoric against its NFT-member employees, but the district has failed to say or do anything publicly to help curb the increase in violence against NFT members." In the release, it is also stated that NFT members who have displayed lawn signs about the contract impasse on their property have found the signs vandalized or destroyed.

During today's news conference, NFT leadership will present the media with a series of Facebook documents rife with hateful anti-NFT and anti teacher language, derogatory terms, name calling, ill wishes, disrespectful comments, hurtful words, uncompromising attitudes and veiled threats of violence against NFT members.

Additionally, NFT Vice President, Anne Schmidt, will present media with a copy of a letter sent last week to the district urging it to speak out against such anti-teacher rhetoric that has thus far, according to the release, has gone unanswered.

Although in the release the NFT recognizes the right to free speech, it believes that the district has a moral and legal obligation to provide its employees with a safe work environment.

"The district’s refusal to speak out against such postings – many of which have been posted on school board member William O’Connor’s personal Facebook page – has led to an atmosphere of 'open hatred' towards Neshaminy teachers, and in turn the NFT believes, can indirectly lead to the type of alleged incident that took place in the high school office on Friday," according to the release.