Following the events on Oct. 7 concerning Hamas and Israel, numerous Montgomery County Public School staff have used their social media platforms to advocate for their opinions on the matter. Several educators, including Hajur El-Haggan of Argyle Middle School, Sabrina Khan-Williams of Tilden Middle School, and Angela Wolf of Takoma Park Middle School, have been placed on administrative leave after expressing support for Palestine with allegedly anti-semitic remarks.
El-Haggan was placed on leave after including a pro-Palestinian slogan in her email signature. Reading “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” the slogan sparked outrage by those who argued that it was anti-Jewish for demanding the eradication of Israel, a Jewish ethno-state. In response, the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) filed a complaint against the reprimanding actions of MCPS, arguing that other staff members have not faced consequences prior for putting social and political stances openly in their email signatures. Examples in the complaint included signatures with the slogan “Black Lives Matter” and links to an article about pronoun use.
Poolesville High School sophomore Maryam Munshi expressed her opinions on the matter.
“I think MCPS is trying really hard to be perceived as neutral on everything,” Munshi said. “The removal of the staff member reflects poorly on MCPS, especially since she was the only one put on administrative leave while her counterparts who had similar email signatures faced none of those repercussions.”
Similarly, teachers Khan-Williams and Wolf also faced reprimand from MCPS after posting content on social media described by administrators as “antisemitic.” Reading “Debunked!! No music festival attack. Babies were not burned. Women were not violated. Hospitals were attacked on purpose.”, Khan-Williams posted on Twitter allegedly denying the Hamas attacks on Oct. 7. Wolf’s posts were not described.
Poolesville sophomore Honna Trinkl agreed with administrative actions.
“MCPS is doing the “right thing” in this case. They have a legitimate defense for dealing leave to the teachers. They are concerned about teachers creating conflict in schools because of what can be considered controversial opinions,” Trinkle said. “I don’t think that it was wise of the teachers to present opinions in an accusatory manner. MCPS is setting the important precedent that teachers are expected to remain professional as their job requires.”
The days following Oct. 7 have been embroiled in anger and suffering for both Jews and Palestinians. While communities nationwide grapple with rising anti-semitism and islamophobia, MCPS staff and administration continue to navigate the blurred lines of using social media to advocate political stances. As Trinkl said, “Everything and anything MCPS does should be for the betterment of our learning environment and education.” Despite their differences, however, both supporters and contenders of MCPS’s responding actions against the teachers can agree on one thing—hate and discrimination have no place in the county.
Article Written by Chloe Chang of Poolesville High School Image Courtesy of rawpixel.com