Hundreds of public commenters press ETHS board to clear teacher’s record over classroom poster; some defend board action

At the June 9, 2025 Evanston Township High School District 202 Board of Education meeting, more than 50 members of the public used an extended public‑comment period to press the board about disciplinary action recorded against history teacher Andrew Ginsberg over a classroom poster.

Supporters of Ginsberg — including current and former students, ETHS teachers and longtime Evanston residents — told the board the poster displayed text by Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel and artwork published in Jewish Currents and argued the teacher created a safe classroom for many students. “Mr. Ginsberg’s classroom is a safe haven,” said Amy Moore, a teacher who identified herself as living outside the district. “When a teacher is known for his inclusivity and compassion and he’s suddenly accused of intolerance, something is clearly wrong,” Moore said.

The meeting’s long public‑comment period also featured alumni and students who described Ginsberg as a guide for critical thinking and civic engagement. Parker Breivald, a 2024 graduate who said he is Jewish, told the board that disciplining Ginsberg “is preventing students from learning valuable information and censorship only harms education.” Multiple speakers said the poster was created by a Jewish artist and quoted Heschel; several asked the board to remove the censure and to apologize to Ginsberg.

Other speakers urged the board to defend Jewish students’ safety and backed the board’s initial action. Shayna Sternstein, who identified herself as an Evanston resident and parent, told the board that Title VI requires schools to respond to conduct that creates a hostile environment based on religion and that the board’s action affirmed that antisemitism would be taken seriously.

Board members acknowledged receipt of emails and public comments and said they had read letters and spoken with community members. Several board members reiterated that district policy and due process limit what the board and district can say publicly about personnel matters. “We ask for understanding as we honor the responsibilities that we carry as a school board,” one board member said in responding to the public comments.

Speakers on both sides repeatedly invoked the district’s stated values — including equity, inclusion and critical thinking — but differed on whether disciplining Ginsberg supported or undermined those values. Teachers and others who defended Ginsberg described his classroom as a place students sought out before and after school. Opponents framed the poster and related classroom discussions as creating safety concerns for Jewish students and sought protections on that basis.

The board did not announce any personnel action at the meeting and said it could not comment publicly on individual personnel matters. Several speakers referenced the May 21 guest essay the board published in the Evanston RoundTable and asked the board to act either to restore the teacher’s record or to explain the disciplinary rationale more fully; board members repeated that personnel confidentiality and due process constrained public statements.

The meeting also drew a mix of historical and legal references from commenters, including citations to Rabbi Heschel’s writings and to Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. Many callers urged the district to allow classroom discussion of global events and for the board to protect teachers’ ability to model critical inquiry. Others urged the board to prioritize Jewish student safety, saying that words can escalate to violence.

The board moved on to the rest of its agenda after the public‑comment period; no vote on the teacher’s record was taken at the June 9 meeting.