Deb Gesualdo has been elected vice president of the Massachusetts Teachers Association, the state’s largest teachers union, alongside newly elected president Matt Bach. Both are members of the union’s progressive caucus, which promotes social justice activism within the organization and has longstanding influence over its leadership.

Gesualdo, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, has described the United States as a 'fascist oligarchy' and called for working people to rise up against the government. On social media, she has criticized national borders as a 'construct of colonizers' and shared messages such as 'No war but class war,' often pairing them with cartoon imagery.

Within the union, Gesualdo has supported resolutions accusing Israel of carrying out a 'genocidal assault' in Gaza and urged the National Education Association to stop using Holocaust education materials from the Anti-Defamation League, alleging bias. The union previously faced criticism from state lawmakers over educational materials and imagery related to the Israel and Hamas conflict that some officials described as antisemitic.

With Gesualdo and Bach set to assume leadership in July, critics argue the union is continuing its alignment with far-left activism amid ongoing scrutiny over antisemitism within teachers unions at both the state and national levels. The Massachusetts Teachers Association did not respond to requests for comment.