Ed. Note: Yesterday NJ Education Report published a letter from James Davis, president of the Black Parents Workshop, alerting West Orange Public Schools that it violated First Amendment rights and civil rights of West Orange High School students by interfering with a planned pro-Palestinian walk-out originally scheduled for October 30th.

The West Orange Board of Education’s response to his letter, printed in full below, says the students planning the walk-out had originally used inflammatory language in their material. (The Board is referencing the phrase “From the River to the Sea,” which many regard as a call for the annihilation of Israel.) The letter from the West Orange Board addresses this issue and contests Davis’s allegations.

Good afternoon Mr. Davis, 

Thank you for reaching out.

To reiterate for the sake of the entire school community: the safety and well-being of ALL of our students is, always has been, and always will be, our paramount concern. This is non-negotiable and lies at the core of our mission.

The high school administration and advisors engaged with our student leaders to discuss the language used in their post as it resulted in threats from outside the school community. These threats were targeting our students. Through this discussion, our students opted to postpone their demonstration as it became apparent that security would need to be coordinated; a level of security that could not be coordinated with very short notice. Student safety is paramount. The students chose to postpone (not cancel) their demonstration and repost a message that indicated this detail as well as a call for “…unity and peace and unwavering support for humanity.“  Their constitutional guaranteed right to assemble, as outlined in board policy 5520, has not been infringed upon.

Regarding the recent alarming incidents of hate speech and threats circulating on local social media groups directed at our students; this behavior is utterly unacceptable and disgraceful, and impacts not only individuals but ripples through our entire community beyond our schools. We undeniably condemn these actions.The district and school administration are proactively working hand in hand with the West Orange Police Department and authorities. Each and every incident is reported for investigation.

Navigating challenges that extend beyond the jurisdiction of our school district, especially on social media platforms, requires a collaborative effort. The school district cannot confront these challenges alone; it is crucial for all community members to report hate speech and threats to the local policing authorities.

Thank you.

West Orange Board of Education