A Pennsylvania school board member has resigned after calling the Israeli military a “terrorist organization” on social media — but he will keep his job as assistant superintendent in the Philadelphia school system.
Dr. Jamina Clay, elected in 2021 to the Colonial Schools Board of Directors, had just been re-elected to the panel when she sparked a local uproar over her offensive position and agreed to step down.
“As you all know – I recently made a post on my Facebook page where I intended to draw attention to the conflict in the Middle East,” Clay wrote in a since-deleted tweet on Facebook – the same platform he used to disparage Israel Defense Forces – on Thursday, according to Fox News.
“After thinking about it and after talking with my loved ones and friends, I understand that my choice of words may have caused harm to many people, and that the effect did not match my intentions. This position has been removed,” said Clay, assistant superintendent for the School District of Philadelphia, where he oversees 10 schools.
“Due to the pain caused by my position, I have resigned my position on the Colonial School Board, effective immediately,” he said.
Dr. Jamina Clay, who was elected in 2021 to the Colonial School Board of Directors, announced her resignation from the panel in a since-deleted post on Facebook.Facebook/Mina Clay
“I understand that the district needs to heal from the hurtful words I chose, and it is better to do so in my absence. The Board of Directors is ready to move forward, and I hope that with me no longer occupying that seat, the community will be able to do so as well.”
Clay then stated that he would continue to serve in his school duties.
“Once again, I apologize for the post I made and I hope to learn from this situation,” he said. “I will continue to pray for peace in the Middle East.”
Clay wrote in his apology that he understood “my choice of words may have caused harm to many people, and the effect was not commensurate with my intent.”
The apology came just a day after Clay posted on Facebook, “The terrorist organization commonly known as the IDF is now targeting a hospital.
“The world watches while the Palestinians are removed.”
The post quickly drew backlash from the local Jewish community, many of whom voiced their concerns at a school board meeting Thursday night — just hours after Clay submitted his resignation.
Andrew Goretsky, a local parent who serves as regional director of the Anti-Defamation League of Philadelphia, said he found Clay’s post not only offensive but “as an educator, as careless.”
Spencer Yablon said the “despicable view” in Clay’s post “brings to the surface what Jews have always felt – that antisemitism is all around us,” according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Rabbi Glenn Ettman added, “The main thing that seems dangerous, not just painful, but dangerous, is calling the Israel Defense Forces a terrorist organization.
“Words do matter,” he told NBC Philadelphia. “Words have influence, and certainly words coming from people who are elected officials are more important because of the positions they hold.”
Clay was absent from Thursday night’s Colonial School Board meeting, just hours after he submitted his resignation. FOX News
In a statement, Beth Patruno, president of the school district, said, “We acknowledge that members of our community were hurt by Dr. Clay.
“This is unacceptable in our school district, where we pride ourselves on creating a culture of belonging,” he told CBS News.
The Colonial School District released a statement saying it received Clay’s resignation letter, noting that “his post offended many people and resulted in numerous emails calling for his resignation or condemnation, as well as a call for many to attend tonight’s School Board meeting to voice their concerns.
“Dr. Clay submitted his resignation this morning stating that he does not want to distract from the work of the School Board or the district,” the statement said, according to Fox News.
“Following the receipt of his resignation letter, we are sending a message to the community to inform them of this development and reiterate our commitment to creating a safe, inclusive environment for students, faculty and staff.
Many people in the local Jewish community voiced their concerns at Thursday night’s school board meeting. FOX News
“Colonial School District prides itself on fostering a sense of belonging,” it continued. “All of our schools work hard each year to maintain their No Place for Hate Schools designation as part of our partnership with the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and participate in many other initiatives and programs aimed at promoting equality, inclusion and belonging.
“We condemn all forms of hate and violence and remind everyone that we have counseling services available for anyone who may be struggling.”
Superintendent Michael Christian said Clay’s post “offended a lot of people and, as a school board member, this is unacceptable in a district that prides itself on fostering a sense of belonging.”
School District of Philadelphia spokeswoman Monique Braxton said the district’s free speech policy — which says, “Employees are protected by the First Amendment when speaking about matters of public concern that are not part of their job duties” — applies to Clay’s post.
However, “the views and opinions expressed in Dr. Clay’s Facebook post do not reflect the positions, opinions or views of the School District of Philadelphia,” Braxton added.
The representative noted that the district’s policy on employee social media use says disciplinary action can be taken when an employee’s use of social media “damages the School District of Philadelphia’s reputation as an educational institution” or “has a negative impact on the employee’s ability to perform their duties effectively.”
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
