As students returned to school for a new academic year, concerns are mounting over the brewing tensions between faculty and the administration at schools like P.S. 398 in Queens.

"Nobody wants to feel like I'm bringing my kids to a place where the employees aren't necessarily happy," says Amadeo Plaza, a parent and Queens resident with a son at P.S. 398.

Parents dropping off their children at the Jackson Heights, Queens campus of P.S. 398 have been met with whispers and murmurs regarding an escalating dispute between the school's faculty and its principal. Some teachers have openly accused the administration of engaging in anti-union actions and fostering a hostile atmosphere within the school.

"We want to be able to make professional decisions for our classrooms and not be micromanaged. We want a safe recess. Things are said to professionals that professionals don't say, and there's a way of engaging with people that intimidates them and makes them frightened," says Amy Arundell, the Queens borough representative for the United Federation of Teachers union.

Arundell says that the staff at P.S. 398 has raised legitimate concerns with the school's principal, but these concerns have allegedly been dismissed. About 20 letters from teachers detailing alleged incidents were sent to the school's chancellor and superintendent. One letter recounts an incident in which a teacher reported a student's misuse of a bathroom urinal to the principal, after which the principal made a public announcement seemingly referencing the incident and seeming to refer to the student as a dog.

"They feel they are failing their students, and what's amazing about this group of people is that they will not give up," says Arundell

Victoria Medelius, the second-year PTA president at P.S. 398 says she also has concerns about what teachers are allegedly enduring.

"Discriminatory actions against them, unfair ratings, and instances that affected kids," says Medelius.

Medelius also serves on the district's community education council and says she has heard of similar conflicts at other schools. According to her, the situation at P.S. 398 is so dire that five teachers quit due to conflicts with the administration before the start of this school year, leading to a petition.

“It seems like some of these things are happening in other schools but no one has moved forward with the grievance,” says Medelius. “The petition backs our teachers to listen and support them first and foremost and towards the end parents have been asking for the removal of the administrato.”

While some parents we spoke with were unaware of the issues at P.S. 398, others had heard rumors. Lina Millan, one parent, admitted, "I had not heard any conflicts honestly." Lydia Ramirez, a Queens resident, pointed out, "Throughout the years, things that we saw, especially me as a parent, some of the things the principal has done. They hired a whole bunch of new faculty, so in a way, you start to think like, why did these teachers leave?"

Efforts to reach out to the school's principal, regarding the allegations have not yielded a response. Union leaders believe that decisive action is necessary.

"The DOE really needs to intervene and provide different supports," says Arundell.

A spokesperson for the Department of Education issued a statement saying, "A safe and supportive school environment for every member of our school communities is of the highest priority at New York City Public Schools. We take all allegations seriously and are conducting a thorough review."

For now, most parents we spoke with indicate that the conflicts at the school have not directly impacted their children.

"I don't want parents to feel they're sending their children into a death trap. What we're talking about here is that this is an administrator who thinks her way is the only way, and it's proving not to be the case. Her decision-making is problematic for the health and safety of students and their education,” says Arundell.