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…
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