Two New York state lawmakers have called for an official investigation into a large rally supporting charter schools, after reports emerged that classes were cancelled and attendance was compulsory for students and staff. The rally, which drew thousands of participants to the Brooklyn Bridge, was held amid growing political tension ahead of the city’s mayoral election, with charter schools facing potential changes to their future funding and expansion.State Senators John Liu and Shelley Mayer sent a letter to the New York State Department of Education and the State University of New York (SUNY) demanding a probe into the event. Their concern centres on allegations that the charter school leadership pressured families, students, and staff to participate in the political rally during school hours, which they describe as a misuse of public resources and instructional time.

Charter schools cancel classes and mandate attendance
The rally took place during school hours on a weekday and was organised to show support for charter schools, which serve approximately 142,000 students in New York City. These schools are privately managed but receive public funding. According to a recording obtained by the Gothamist, Eva Moskowitz, founder of Success Academy — a prominent charter network — told staff that advocacy was part of their job and stressed the hierarchical nature of the organisation. “There is a chain of command, and when your boss asks you to do something, assuming it’s not unethical or a question of conscience, you do the task. Are we clear?” she said, as reported by the Gothamist.

Senators Liu and Mayer stated in their letter that “canceling classes during a school day and forcing families and students to engage in a political rally is an egregious misuse of instructional time and state funds.” They added that staff and families felt pressured and feared repercussions if they did not attend.

Political context behind the rally
The rally occurred just weeks before the New York mayoral election, where candidate Zohran Mamdani has expressed opposition to expanding charter schools. Mamdani, the Democratic nominee and front-runner, has argued that charter schools divert resources from traditional public schools. In the recording, Moskowitz described the situation as an “existential threat” to Success Academy, without naming Mamdani directly, according to the Gothamist.

Moskowitz also urged families to participate actively, sending emails to elected officials multiple times. She wrote, as reported by the Gothamist, “There are currently serious threats to the educational excellence your child deserves. We need 100% of parents to get on the bus with us.”

School’s dual mission and lawmaker responses
Success Academy has stated that it operates with a dual mission: educating students and advocating for policy changes. A spokesperson, Ann Powell, said on Wednesday, as quoted by the Gothamist, “Nobody who works at Success should be surprised by this or should object to standing up for charter schools. That has always been true and it’s why we have organised so many marches over the years.”

However, Senator Liu challenged this stance, emphasising that “it was a school day and classes were not held. So that by itself is a disservice to school kids, and a potential misuse of state funds,” as reported by the Gothamist. He added that whether staff agreed to the dual mission remains unclear.

Historical parallels and the organisation’s approach
The event’s staging was noted to be very similar to a rally held in 2013 during Bill de Blasio’s mayoral campaign, who was also a critic of charter schools. Moskowitz commented on the organisation’s history of political activism, saying, “We have a core competency in political threats, unfortunately. But this is one of these moments where there is heightened risk, policy risk, political risk, and so we are going to do what we’ve always done, which is to stand up for children and families in a massive way,” according to the Gothamist.

As of now, Success Academy has not responded to immediate requests for further comment on the investigation calls. The matter remains under review by state education authorities.