School Board Fires Montco Principal After Antisemitic Incident

LOWER GWYNEDD, PA — The Wissahickon School Board unanimously voted to remove the Lower Gwynedd Elementary School principal after an antisemitic incident last week.

Philip Leddy, who was appointed principal in Sept. 2023 and has years of experience in early education, left a voicemail for the parent of one of the school's students last week. After the voicemail concluded the phone did not hang up, and Leddy continued to speaking to others, presumably referencing the parent he'd just been addressing.

In the meantime, the district has appointed Sue Kanopka as the interim principal of the school.

Leddy made comments about a summer "Jew camp," said the family had "Jew money," and then added later that "they (the Jews) control the banks." He also said "the odds are probably good" that the parent was a lawyer, according to the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia.

Local leaders and advocacy organizations say that the incident underscores structural issues in education and leadership.

"The recent accusations involving a principal in the Wissahickon School District are deeply troubling, not just because of the nature of the remarks alleged, but because they raise a larger question about leadership and responsibility in our public institutions," Montgomery County Commissioner Jamila Winder said.

The Jewish Federation said that Wissahickon must be transparent in their investigation, as well as directly engage with the larger Jewish community to prevent future incidents