NEW YORK (VINnews) — A Brooklyn middle school used artwork by the wife of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani in a social justice lesson while initially blocking a Holocaust survivor from addressing students, the New York Post reported.

The report said MS 447 in Boerum Hill included illustrations by Rama Duwaji in a seventh-grade course titled “Art for Social Change,” alongside works by artists and public figures such as Kendrick Lamar.

At the same time, the school had denied a request for Holocaust survivor Sami Steigmann to speak to students, prompting criticism from parents and community members. He was later allowed to visit after a backlash, according to the report.

The curriculum asked students to analyze how artists’ backgrounds influence their work and to create their own art reflecting identity and social issues.

Some parents raised concerns about a perceived double standard. The school, the city Department of Education and the mayor’s office did not immediately respond to requests for comment, the report said.