Dozens of residents, students and staff tell Evanston school board to rescind discipline over classroom poster

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 identified themselves as ETHS teachers described formal discipline. One, who said the removal of a classroom poster was “at the behest of one angry parent,” told the board the action violated “my First Amendment and Title VII rights” and asked for a written removal of the disciplinary warning and a public apology. Another ETHS employee, Andrew Ginsberg, identified himself as a history teacher at ETHS and told the board he and other staff had been repeatedly called into meetings about classroom speech and student demonstrations following events in October 2023.

Students and alumni recounted experiences they said showed differential treatment of criticisms of Israel. Joaquin Clavijo, a 2024 graduate whose remarks were read by his parent, said he was summoned to a dean’s office after posting commentary and imagery about conditions in Gaza; he said a staff member seized his phone and officers at the Evanston Police Department told him deleting footage might be required to avoid criminal charges. “This blatant act of intimidation rattled me,” the written remarks said.

Other speakers praised the teacher whose poster was removed and asked the board to protect space for dissent. “It is profoundly anti‑Jewish to suggest that only one viewpoint is the Jewishly correct one,” a speaker said, citing Jewish tradition in support of dissent. Community members also warned that censoring or disciplining teachers could chill student expression across religious and ethnic groups.

Board members did not take a public vote on discipline during the comment period. Superintendent Dr. Peter Bavas and board president pro tem thanked speakers after public comment ended and said the board had “heard everything that was said” and would follow up as it deems appropriate.

The public comment segment included speakers from several perspectives — parents, ETHS students and alumni, teachers and community activists — and repeatedly invoked free‑speech protections and district policy. Several speakers asked the board to remove disciplinary notations and issue apologies to the teacher cited by commenters; others urged the district to ensure that curriculum and opportunities for discussion include Palestinian experiences and perspectives.

Board members did not announce any immediate policy changes at the meeting. The board’s response at the meeting was to listen and acknowledge the remarks; board members later discussed next steps in private and in regular agenda items.

The episode echoes broader debates nationwide about how schools balance equity, safety, and free expression around the Israel–Gaza conflict; many speakers asked ETHS to treat dissent as part of educational mission rather than as grounds for discipline.

The board will receive the full record of public comments and may consider administrative follow‑up; no formal board action on the specific disciplinary matter was taken on May 12.