Parents Defending Education has discovered new details about the response of Maryland’s largest school district to Hamas’s October 7 attack against Israel. In October, Montgomery County Public Schools upset administrators and teachers who felt that the district should have done more to highlight Israel’s supposed role as an occupying force, PDE learned through public-records requests. One fiscal specialist for the school system emailed the district to express his anger with comments made by then-MCPS superintendent Monifa McKnight at a virtual meeting on October 16.
“As I recall, you expressed your support for those who have been affected by Hamas’s recent attacks without mentioning your support for Palestinians affected by Israel’s 75+ years of colonial violence, which includes its recent bombings on Gaza,” he said. “The remarks you offered were highly problematic, as they erased Palestinians as being worthy of solidarity or condolences.”
“MCPS prides itself on serving one of the most diverse populations of staff and students in Maryland,” he continued. “It is highly insensitive and deeply inappropriate to offer soothing remarks and sympathies regarding the recent events that exclude any mention of the Palestinian struggle. If you are to offer condolences and extend support to those affected by what is going on in the region, I expect your sympathies to extend to Palestinian lives.”
Also in October, PDE discovered, two of the district’s special-education teachers criticized the district’s response to the terrorist attacks. In response to the district superintendent’s message, which referenced the “terrorist attacks on innocent civilians in Israel,” one teacher asked: “Where is your mention or acknowledgement of the social-media images and videos of innocent Palestinian babies being killed at the hands of Israel and families being torn apart? I’m not referring to the images and videos of just the last couple days, I am speaking to the ethnic cleansing that has been going on for decades.”
In response to a Montgomery County Education Association statement that called October 7 “especially devastating to our Jewish colleagues and students,” another teacher said, “When you say, ‘especially devastating to our Jewish colleagues and students’ you seem to leave out everyone else, even as you are saying you understand that others are suffering, too. And then, at the end, you make an announcement for support for Jewish educators and their supporters, which further stresses the bias.”
In another email chain, administrators proposed a statement about the war on Israel that included the line, “Hamas’ attack on Israel has caused great sorrow, anger and fear for many in our community.” In response to the proposed statement, Montgomery County’s board of education student member (who has voting rights on the board) said that he “did not want to be included in any message from the board on any topic surrounding this issue,” adding, “If the board does decide to release a statement I want it to be noted that I did not sign off on the message.” The BOE’s chief of staff responded, “Got it. For what it is worth my advice is not to send a message.”
“Since October 7th it has become abundantly clear that there is a sizable number of people working in schools, as well as students, who are unwilling to denounce the attacks on Israel or express any sympathy or support for the victims of that day,” Erika Sanzi, PDE’s director of outreach told National Review. School statements don’t have to include Zionist rhetoric to condemn Hamas; statements from administrators and teachers should simply ensure that Jewish students feel safe and supported.