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Dozens of residents, students and staff tell Evanston school board to rescind discipline over classroom poster
Summary
At the May 12 Board of Education meeting, 18 members of the public — including students, parents, teachers and community leaders — pressed the board to reverse disciplinary action taken after a classroom poster was removed. Speakers framed their appeals around free-speech, equity and the school’s past stances on protest and inclusion.
Dozens of residents, students and staff urged the Evanston Township High School District 202 Board of Education on May 12 to reverse disciplinary action taken after a classroom poster was removed and to protect teachers’ and students’ rights to dissent.
Those who spoke at the board’s public-comment period — 18 people in all, the superintendent said — framed their concerns around free expression, equity and what they described as inconsistent responses by district leadership since October 2023.
“Public comments generally pertain to school district matters,” Dr. Peter Bavas told the meeting as he introduced the public‑comment rules; “we have 18 comments from the public this evening,” he said. Speakers then took up accounts of a teacher who was told to take down a poster described as “Jewish acts of dissent” and later disciplined, and of students who said pro‑Palestine expression was restricted while other viewpoints were not.
At least two speakers who…
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