Teaneck Board of Education Meeting

December 13, 2023

Background, Talking Points and Do’s and Don’ts

  1. Background

  1. Students at Teaneck High School (“THS”) planned to protest what they alleged to be Israel’s “genocide” in Gaza.  Their pro-Palestinian event was initially planned as a walkout whereby students would leave school grounds to hold a protest.  
  2. Word of the event prompted a flood of emails from concerned residents expressing worry for the wellbeing of THS’s Jewish students.  Superintendent Spencer, Teaneck’s Board of Education and Teaneck’s Town Council, including the town’s mayor, received over 4,500 emails opposing the event in less than 48 hours.
  3. Instead of distancing THS from the event, and insisting students hold the event off school grounds, Dr. Spencer decided to allow students to start the rally on the school’s football field during school hours.  
  4. On November 28, 2023, the evening before the event, a Jewish communal protest on the Municipal Green drew over 1,000 attendees, including Jewish THS Students, who described THS’s hostile environment for Jewish students and personal experiences.
  5. That evening, Dr. Spencer issued a follow up letter in which he clarified that students would not be excused from class to attend the walkout.  
  6. On November 29, 2023 the walkout took place at THS.  THS students chanted “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free”--a chant calling for the destruction of Israel and ethnic cleansing of Jews from between the Jordan river and the Mediterranean Sea–on the school’s football field and through the town’s streets.  
  7. At the Municipal Green, THS students were joined by others and held a rally, which featured speakers like Rick Whilby, who described America to THS students as “the most racist country in the world” and called for “from the river to the sea by any means,” a clear incitement to terrorism.
  8. Fearing for their safety, a number of Jewish students stayed home from THS that day.

II.         Talking Points

  1. We SUPPORT freedom of speech, but OPPOSE schools being forums for hate speech.  Students have first amendment rights and can choose to miss class and express even hateful opinions off school grounds on their own time.  But what our school cannot do is invite them to hold their rally on school grounds, during school hours and to express opinions that are hateful to Jewish students and residents.  
  2. Dr. Spencer hosted a hate rally on school grounds.  
  1. “Genocide” is a lie–among other things, the birthrate in Gaza exceeds that in Israel—and used to justify brutal attacks on Israeli civilians.  
  2. “From the River to the Sea” calls for the destruction of Israel and the ethnic cleansing of Jews from between the Jordanian river and the Mediterranean Sea.
  3. “Any means necessary” is express incitement to terrorism.  

Hosting a rally perpetuating these messages is akin to hosting a rally by students expressing support for the KKK or ISIS.  It is unacceptable.

  1. Students have a right to feel safe at school–why was their right ignored?  Dr. Spencer’s actions completely undercut what public schools are meant to be–safe and nurturing learning environments where students of all backgrounds can come together to learn.  That Jewish students at THS felt compelled to stay home out of concern for their safety is an embarrassment to all of us and it reflects a profound failure of these students–and of all of us–by Dr. Spencer.
  2. Dr. Spencer failed all of us.  All Teaneck Citizens–and particularly Public School Parents–should oppose what is happening here.  No student should feel unsafe at school.  Anywhere.  That this is happening in our own school district is an embarrassment to all of us.  This is not what we want to be known for.  
  3. This was exactly the opposite of an educationally or civically valuable experience for students.  Students marched around chanting genocidal slogans and, instead of going to class, got lectured by local oddballs on antisemitic conspiracy theories and how America is the “most racist country in history.”  They did not have a valuable educational or civic experience–they wasted their time and embarrassed our town.
  4. Instead of Unifying our Town, Dr. Spencer and the BoE Divided it.  This could have been a teachable moment about how to bring a town together.  It was the opposite.
  5. Dr. Spencer and the BoE promised a peaceful event, but that is not what we got.  Calling for the destruction of a country and ethnic cleansing is not “peaceful”.  Calling for it “by any means necessary”--i.e. butchering civilians–is not “peaceful”.  
  6. The climate in our schools is toxic–what are you doing to fix it?  

  1. What are you doing to discourage antisemitism and other forms of discrimination and intimidation?  At the ‘rally against the rally’ Jewish THS students described a toxic environment at THS and we know a number stayed home out of fear. Clearly whatever you are doing is not working. 
  2. What policies are you putting in place to prevent the school from hosting hateful rallies in the future?  The school assured parents that the rally would be peaceful, but what we got was students calling for ethnic cleansing on school grounds and actual calls for terrorism on the Municipal Green.

  1. What are you doing to teach the Middle East conflict in your schools in a thoughtful and balanced manner?  Better to address the conflict than ignore it.  Kids clearly don’t understand it and extremists are filling an educational vacuum.
  2. There is broad recognition at the highest academic and government levels that we cannot allow hate speech and harassment, such as calls for the genocide of Jews, to hide behind the shield of ‘free expression.’  Do you believe that calls for the genocide of Jews should be tolerated?  What are you doing to ensure such speech is not tolerated at THS?   Two expressions spoken at the rally fall into the same category, (i) “from the river to the sea,” which refers to the destruction of the state of Israel and the ethnic cleansing of Jewish inhabitants between the Jordan river and the Mediterranean sea, and (ii) “resistance by any means necessary” which legitimizes Palestinians killing innocent civilians, both fall into the same category.  Neither should be tolerated.  What will you do to ensure they have no place at THS going forward?

III.         Do’s and Don’ts

Things to Avoid

1.       Do NOT shout, interrupt or heckle opposing speakers–particularly if they are students.   Truth does not need to be shouted to be true, and we are more powerful and persuasive when we are civil.  Stay respectful and do not be baited into an ugly confrontation.

2.    Do NOT boo, groan, gasp or make other disrespectful reaction sounds to opposing speakers.  The most damning response to something outrageous is SILENCE.

3.       Do NOT get drawn into debates about specific incidents/facts.  Keep it simple. Stay big picture.

4.      Do NOT make this about the Israeli/Palestinian conflict.  This is not about Israel/Palestine.  This is about taxpayer-funded schools being co-opted and used as forums for hate speech.  It is about Dr. Spencer’s reckless disregard of the safety and wellbeing of students in our schools.  

5.    Do NOT make this a Jewish or “us” vs. “them” issue.  This is not an “us” vs. “them” issue.  No student should feel unsafe at school and everyone should condemn what is happening.

6.       Do NOT make comments that could be interpreted as hateful.  Avoid sweeping statements and generalities—particularly negative statements—about other national, ethnic or religious groups, particularly Muslims and Palestinians.  Again, this is not an “us” vs. “them” issue.  Everyone should condemn this.

7.     Do NOT make condescending or otherwise insulting remarks about Teaneck public school students.   This is about our concern for all of Teaneck’s students, not just its Jewish students.  It is ok to describe schools’ failings in the context of seeking the best possible education for all students.

8.     Do NOT say that the rally should have been canceled.  Students have a right to even hateful speech, but they should do it off school property and after hours. Taxpayer funded schools should not provide forums for hate speech.

9.       Do NOT feel the need to speak.  Just because someone sticks a microphone in front of you does not mean you need to speak.  If you are not accustomed to public speaking or don’t know what to say, please resist the temptation to say anything.  “Better to be silent and thought a fool than speak and remove all doubt.”  You are being helpful just by being there and should feel no need to do more.

Things to Do 

1.      DO be unifying.  This is about bringing Teaneck’s residents together and making our schools a safe space for all students.  Our opponents are not students or other parents.  We should all stand together against the BoE and the Superintendent.

2.    DO express sympathy for Palestinian suffering.  Palestinians are suffering, and that suffering should not be denied.  Our point is that the cause of that suffering is Hamas and that innocent Palestinians—who Hamas uses as human shields and steals aid from—are as much Hamas’s victims as innocent Israelis are.  

3.       DO speak with clarity and organization.  Put together concise/clear talking points before you speak and stick to them when you do.    

4.       DO be mindful of time-constraints and watch the clock when you speak.  We anticipate that speakers will each have no more than three (3) minutes and that the time limit will be strictly enforced.  Make sure you stick to it.

5.       DO be personal and relatable.  Consider opening your statement with your name and a brief biographical description (ex. “My name is X, I live in Teaneck for X years and I am [a lawyer][a doctor][the proud parent of X children]”).

6.   DO be gracious.  Make sure to be respectful.  Consider thanking fellow residents for listening and law enforcement for everything they do to keep us safe.