Andrew Ginsberg, a Jewish teacher at Evanston Township High School, has filed a discrimination complaint against District 202 after being reprimanded for displaying a “Jewish acts of dissent” poster in his classroom last school year.
In documents shared with The Daily by Ginsberg’s attorney, the longtime history teacher alleges the district discriminated against him for expressing his religious identity and solidarity with Palestinians during the Israel-Hamas war.
While the controversial poster does not explicitly reference Israel or Palestinians, its creator, Jewish artist Liora Ostroff, said it was meant to “give strength” to Jewish critics of the Israeli government who may be facing retribution.
“The District’s assertion that it is ‘harassment’ to express solidarity with Palestinians and express a religious identity that differs from that of Jews who support Israel’s genocide on Gaza is itself discriminatory,” reads Ginsberg’s complaint, which was presented to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
Ginsberg also claimed the district retaliated against him for replacing the poster with a note to students claiming it had been “censored at the insistence of the administration.”
According to Ginsberg, administrators responded by issuing a written warning accusing him of “unprofessional” behavior, “insubordination” and violating board policies on appropriate student-teacher communication.
“That doesn’t seem to line up with the district’s tolerance of speech on other controversial issues, which suggests the restriction of (Ginsberg’s) speech is related to its content,” his attorney, Rima Kapitan, said.
Kapitan, whose firm focuses on workplace discrimination and academic cases, called the controversy an “example of the failure of the left to uphold freedom of speech,” particularly on issues related to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Despite pushback from the board and some community members, Kapitan said Ginsberg remains committed to speaking out.
“People like Mr. Ginsberg are well aware of attempts to demonize speech, but his convictions compel him to speak out when he sees children being killed, when he sees Judaism being used to defend the indefensible,” Kapitan said.
The complaint cites several other politically charged posters displayed in ETHS classrooms, including signage calling for the abolition of ICE and an image of Malcolm X holding a gun under the phrase “by any means necessary.”
Ginsberg argued that the district’s decision to single out his poster reflects an illegal double standard.
“Teachers who do not share my religious beliefs were not asked to remove their posters and political materials,” the complaint read. “To the contrary, the school board has previously defended staff members’ right to express controversial political opinions.”
But in a guest essay published in the Evanston RoundTable, the D202 Board of Education argued that, unlike students, teachers acting in their official capacities are subject to greater restrictions on speech. As public employees, the board wrote, educators can face limitations intended to preserve a classroom environment that is “inclusive, intellectually open and balanced.”
In response to a request for comment on Ginsberg’s complaint, the district said it does not comment on personnel matters.
At a May school board meeting, Josh Weiner, chief strategy officer for the North American Values Institute — an organization that has called for Ginsberg’s reprimand — praised the board’s statement. Weiner argued that though the district has not previously disciplined teachers for similar displays, “that should not serve as justification to further politicize classrooms.”
On its website, NAVI describes its mission as opposing “radical DEI and extreme social justice ideologies” in schools. But NAVI has been criticized by Ostroff, who said it promotes “far-right ideologies,” and by Ginsberg, who called it “a quasi-fascist organization.”
In a statement to The Daily, a representative from NAVI said Ginsberg’s complaint “underscores the need for institutional neutrality that is consistently enforced.”
“Districts must remain neutral on controversial issues — which is exactly why (ETHS) reprimanded the teacher,” the statement read. “Consistent accountability across classrooms will strengthen inclusion and safeguard the integrity of public education.”
Ginsberg questioned whether such neutrality is realistic — or desirable — in a history classroom. He said several conservative students have told him they appreciate his “authenticity” when discussing difficult topics.
He also criticized the board for what he sees as a failure to uphold ETHS’s stated commitment to social justice, pointing to past initiatives like detracking courses and establishing gender-neutral restrooms as examples of progressive reforms that were initially controversial.
“They recruit (teachers) at ETHS based on their commitment to social justice and to empowering marginalized groups, and that’s a great thing about our school,” Ginsberg said. “My point is, we shouldn’t ditch that — we should just be consistent about it.”
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