Dear District 202 and 65 District Leaders and School Boards,

We are a collective of concerned parents who are worried by the actions of other parents in our community. We understand that this is a particularly difficult time for those in our community who have family and ethno-religious connections to the mass killing and destruction in Israel and in Gaza and to the Israeli hostages. We are also very cognizant of how racialized patterns in the US are impacting the way things are playing out as a community. 

Both in District 202 and in District 65, white parents have been weaponizing their Jewish identity to attempt to speak on behalf of all Jews and silence any staff member who expresses support for Palestinian people in any way. Teachers are being reported to school leaders and accused of improper behavior for wearing anything pro-Palestinian, having flags in their classrooms, inviting Anti-Zionist Jewish or Palestinian groups to participate in civic engagement activities, speaking out in public on the issue, and for the mere mention of Palestine in their classrooms. These parents are also working to silence and remove Jewish educators, further proving that this is not a religious issue but a political one.

The same parents who are making these complaints against teachers now were also the ones who demanded that the school board do more to educate teachers, supposedly so they could have discussions with students about the violence in Israel and Gaza. As time goes on, and the death toll of Palestinians surpasses 31,000, discussions of the plight of Palestinians have become unavoidable; thus, teachers and students alike are engaging in conversation.  This about-turn and relentless attempts at silencing any concern for civilians in Palestine make it clear that they were demanding discussions that only supported Israel unequivocally. ​​

These parents are not just complaining but calling for the dismissal of our educators. This is unacceptable behavior by our community members!

Evanston’s school districts have faced past backlash because they teach a systemic understanding of racial and LGBTQ oppression. Our school districts have stood firm in the face of that criticism—never wavering and never giving in to bigoted threats, even in court. We appreciate the critical and anti-oppressive lens that our districts have added to the teaching pedagogy in recent years and are proud of our schools’ commitment to equity and to open discussions of oppression.

Today, teachers wear LGBTQ-friendly T-shirts and Black Lives Matter t-shirts to school, and no one is shouting for them to be fired, even as there are households who hold religious beliefs that are counter to some of these issues. The mere gall of demanding that a teacher be removed because one doesn’t agree with their political stand on a global issue is rooted in white privilege and a white supremacist notion that one can simply rid their environment of anything that displeases them. 

Palestinian people face oppression that mirrors the plight of many marginalized groups in the US, and the historical and political context of their oppression is just as valid a discussion point as it is when we discuss Native, Black, and LGBTQ issues.  

We all have become aware that many pro-Palestinian individuals across the country have been losing their jobs in retaliation for any sign of support for Palestine. This is a grave injustice that has already occurred in our very city and is more often than not targeted at community members of color.  

We ask that Districts 202 and 65 remain strong in their commitment to their equity values, which not only means equal treatment for all staff and students but also requires that the districts look at the larger systemic dynamics at play and protect staff and students from patterns of harm that we are seeing in our schools and the wider community. We are asking that you, our school leaders, continue to keep your teaching staff and all employees safe from attacks and send a message that harassing staff members who work tirelessly for our school community will not be tolerated.

We thank you and continue to support the district's commitment to standing against oppression of all types and your commitment to a liberatory education.

Concerned Parents of District 202 and 65