A major battle is brewing among MCPS leadership. Superintendent Monifa McKnight has been urged by the Board of Education to resign, yet McKnight is adamant about defending her position.
The district is in chaos, yet amidst the turmoil, there’s tacit recognition that significant reforms are urgently needed. As a Jewish parent and a Jewish educator in MCPS, we contend that addressing antisemitism in our schools must be a focal point of these necessary reforms.
For years, the district has been plagued with antisemitic graffiti and hateful conduct at all grade levels. These incidents have generally been met with flaccid messaging from administrators, generically condemning all forms of hate, thereby diluting attention away from the specific issue at hand, antisemitism.
Additionally, with MCPS’s commitment to restorative justice practices, where students engage in dialogue rather than facing academic repercussions, there are few deterrents to combat this behavior. Having created a climate in which antisemitic actions go largely unaddressed and unpunished, it is no surprise that last year, 61% of all hate/bias incidents in MCPS were anti-Jewish, even though Jews make up only about 10% of the total population.
Then came Oct. 7.
McKnight was at the controls when the district decided how to respond to the single worst day in Jewish history since the Holocaust.
With a letter comparing the terrorist attack to a natural disaster, the district was widely condemned for its inability to formulate a strong, coherent message to the community.
Nearly 40 Americans died or were taken hostage that day, but MCPS’s whispered and mealy-mouthed response also stood in stark contrast to the swift and strong comments that they have made on other major current events affecting Americans like the death of George Floyd, the U.S. Capitol riots, and even the 2016 election of Donald Trump.
Instead, in the wake of those attacks, we were met with news of disturbing instances of antisemitic content involving at least four educators. One staff member concluded her work emails with the statement, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” which many in the Jewish community consider a pro-genocide slogan for the killing of Jews. Another educator purported the terrorist attack was fabricated and that Israelis kill Palestinians to steal their organs, an antisemitic trope as old as time.
While the district commendably and promptly placed these teachers on administrative leave, it feels like they are kicking the can down the road. We know that the protection afforded by the teacher’s union almost ensures their eventual reinstatement.
It’s the same story when students are the perpetrators of hate and bias, proving the issue isn’t just union protection of a few bad actors.
Student walkouts have caused significant disruptions in classrooms and have fostered an atmosphere of hostility towards Jewish students and teachers. Many of these walkouts were excused, giving a whiff of imprimatur despite being marred by the unsettling presence of antisemitic rhetoric.
Expressions seen and heard at these protests like “Kill the Jews,” “Bring Hitler back,” “We can’t breathe since 1948,” and “Victory to Palestinian resistance” indicate a troubling endorsement, by walkout participants, of violence against Israel and the Jewish community.
Recently, at one of our middle schools, a student told another student that “Hitler should have killed more Jews” and that “Jews celebrate when people die.”
During a Holocaust lesson a question was asked, “Why do people make a big deal of this? They are clearly exaggerating.” The district lacks a cohesive strategy to address these incidents, therefore staff are left floundering to deliver meaningful consequences. A restorative justice circle was offered to parents.
The hostile atmosphere prevailing in MCPS not only detracts from the educational experience of Jewish students and staff but also poses a potential legal risk under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. We urge MCPS to take prompt and decisive action to enact meaningful reforms to prevent potential legal action as observed in other school districts such as Teaneck, Fairfax and elsewhere.
Superintendent McKnight and the Board of Education are already facing criticism for spending half a million dollars in legal fees in the wake of two suits that have pitted staff and parents against the school district. MCPS doesn’t need any more.
MCPS must show a strong commitment to all its students and staff by revising its policies and taking effective, immediate measures to tackle the growing issue of antisemitism in its schools. The implementation of reforms is not just a matter of legal compliance, but a moral imperative to foster an inclusive, safe, and respectful learning environment for all stakeholders.
Margery Smelkinson, Ph.D. is a leader of the Maryland Jewish Alliance.
Lisa R. Miller is an educator in MCPS and a leader of Montgomery County Jewish Educators Alliance.
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