The Newport-Mesa Unified School District does not consider the phrase “Free Palestine” to be hate speech, Superintendent Wesley Smith said Tuesday.
Smith, during the Nov. 14 school board meeting, addressed the suspension of a Corona del Mar Middle and High School student, allegedly for saying remarks deemed to be threatening, such as “Free Palestine,” to a classmate, according to social media posts circulating last week.
“We want to make sure people understand this district does not consider ‘Free Palestine’ hate speech,” Smith said. “We absolutely are committed to free speech; we’re committed to making sure every single square inch of this district is safe for our students.”
Smith did not go into details about what led to the student’s suspension, noting that district officials cannot disclose personal details about students and their disciplinary actions.
“People get upset, and I understand why. It’s because they don’t get all of the story. They read the media, and at best, that’s half right because we’re not able to comment,” said Smith. “We’re not able to share what’s happening, and it’s further frustrating for people.”
“We can only talk in generalities and hope that people understand and trust that we are doing our jobs,” he said.
Social media posts began circulating last week from multiple accounts, including one that purports to be the student’s aunt, that included a photo of a letter from Principal Jacob Haley saying the student had been suspended for three days.
“(The student) said threatening remarks to a young lady in class. He said ‘Free Palestine,’” the letter read. Those social media posts also detailed previous tensions that occurred between the student and others at school.
During Tuesday evening’s school board meeting, multiple parents and community members raised questions and concerns about what led to the suspension. Some commended the district’s actions; others questioned why a student would be suspended for voicing support for Palestine. One parent said she kept her child home from school on Monday, the day a protest had been planned but was ultimately canceled.
Those who spoke agreed, however, that children need to feel safe at school.
In an email to parents over the weekend, Newport-Mesa Unified said “information on social media and news media is an inaccurate and incomplete picture of what occurred.”
“We do not discipline students for solely exercising their right to free speech,” the district said. “However, to adhere to laws that protect student privacy, we are unable to share the full details of the incident.”
Board President Ashley Anderson read the statement in full at the start of Tuesday’s meeting.
The Southern California chapter of the Council on American–Islamic Relations, in a statement, condemned the suspension.
“This one-sided approach perpetuates Islamaphobia and anti-Palestinian sentiment, creating an adverse climate for American Muslims,” CAIR-LA Executive Director Hussam Ayloush said.
The Jewish Federation of Orange County was also monitoring the situation, president and CEO Erik Ludwig said earlier this week.
“We appreciate the proactive measures taken to maintain a safe environment on campus for all students and staff,” said Ludwig.
Corona del Mar, a public middle and high school in Newport Beach, was the site of vandalism last month after swastikas were drawn on a locker. Then, school officials said they alerted police who were investigating the incident. There was no indication from either district employees or the social media posts Friday that the suspended student was involved in the vandalism.
