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Wissahickon Board Fires Lower Gwynedd Elementary Principal Over Antisemitic Voicemail

Leddy self-reported the remarks, triggering a legal process that culminated in a unanimous board vote.

Overview

  • Board members voted unanimously Tuesday to terminate Principal Philip Leddy after a recording captured him using stereotypes including references to “Jew money” and claims that Jews “control the banks.”
  • Sue Kanopka, a former Lower Gwynedd principal now serving as a curriculum supervisor, has been installed as acting principal to provide continuity.
  • Another staff member heard during the recording is on leave while the district investigates their involvement and apparent failure to report the remarks.
  • The district scheduled Jan. 13 listening sessions with the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia and plans staff training on recognizing and responding to antisemitic speech, with support from the ADL.
  • At the public meeting, no speakers backed Leddy, with some residents calling the firing necessary to confront antisemitism and others criticizing the response as public shaming.