The Tamalpais Union High School District was the center of a new controversy following an event to raise LGBTQ+ awareness. According to Mercury News, a video that was shown during the event included an image of Leila Khaled, who is known for hijacking an airplane in 1969, sporting a rifle, accompanied by the phrase "resistance is not terrorism." Khaled is recognized as a member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, a group classed as a terrorist organization by various countries.
The video's display of this image prompted an apology from Superintendent Tara Taupier, who conveyed her remorse in a letter. "We, as a district, acknowledge that this image is troubling, particularly because of its connection to violence and terrorism against Jewish people," Taupier stated, as reported by Mercury News. Taupier declined to detail which faculty had previously viewed the video or was responsible for including it in the program.
The unfolding situation raised questions among the parents within the district. Benedetto Cico expressed his concerns, "I would like to understand how such content passed the screening process of the district," according to a statement obtained by Mercury News. Distress over the event's content echoed the recent debates surrounding the ethnic studies program in the district, which had seen allegations of antisemitic material and undue influence from activist groups.
Parent group Tam Union Together's Laurie Dubin brought attention to the broader implications of the incident. "The image of Leila Kahled on the T-shirt wearing a keffiyeh armed with an AK-47 with the words 'resistance is not terrorism' speaks to the insidious nature of antisemitic content that we see popping up in school curriculum all over the Bay Area," Dubin told Mercury News. Another concerned parent, Betina Baumgarten, criticized the district's oversight and the failure to vet the video material inclusively. "I wish there was no need for an apology," Baumgarten articulated, according to an email quoted by Mercury News. "The Jewish community has offered time and time again to be involved and engaged — and time and time again, instead of accepting our offers to sit at the table and offer our perspective, the district chooses to operate as it does."
As the community awaits further clarification, Superintendent Taupier has affirmed a commitment to upholding the district's values of "inclusivity, respect, and sensitivity" while promising immediate measures to prevent similar issues from arising in the future. "We take full responsibility for this oversight and are taking immediate steps to ensure such incidents do not happen in the future," Taupier assured families in her statement, as reported by SF Chronicle.
