20 | MAY 18 • 2023
T
here has been much fallout in the
two months that have followed
a contentious diversity, equity
and inclusion assembly on March 14 at
Bloomfield Hills High School.
Outspoken Palestinian-American
Huwaida Arraf, who was given audience to
the entire student body, went off the topic
about personally facing discrimination in
high school and instead used the platform
to spread what Jewish students felt were
distortions about Israel and events in Gaza
during the Second Intifada.
On a recent episode of commentator
Peter Beinart’s Occupied Thoughts podcast,
Arraf admitted she doesn’t remember much
discrimination she personally faced in
American high school. She said, however,
“freedom is not available to any Palestinians
living within [Israel’s] 1948 borders — where
they are treated like second-, third- or
fourth-class citizens — or under Israeli
military occupation in the West Bank or
Gaza.
”
She said on the podcast that she told
the student organizers of the assembly
beforehand that she had not experienced
much discrimination in high school, “but
I can certainly talk about my experience
with racism and discrimination in my work
campaigning for Palestinian rights.
” She
claimed the students who planned the event
said a shift in topic would be “perfect.
”
Since the assembly occurred, students of
both Jewish and Muslim backgrounds have
alleged that they have faced new incidents
of hate and discrimination, which are under
investigation by the district.
At a heated March 20 Board of
Education meeting, parents of all ethnic
and religious backgrounds said they felt
the administration had failed by allowing a
divisive atmosphere to exist at the school.
There were also unresolved issues of anti-
Black tension at the school.
On March 24, the district announced
that Bloomfield Hills High School Principal
Lawrence Stroughter was put on leave. He
resigned on April 27. Superintendent Pat
Watson on April 18 also announced his
resignation effective July 31 after being with
the district since December 2019.
A ‘HEALING’ PLAN
Since the March 20 meeting, the Board
of Education released a vague timeline
of action items to further investigate
the assembly and the allegations of hate
incidents occurring afterward. It said it
would put into place “healing and restorative
practices” for students and faculty.
Released by the district on April 15, it
outlined several phases of investigation
and action. During March, the first phase
of the plan, the memo stated: “The district
responded, investigated and addressed all
reports of hate post-assembly. The [high
school] administration met with students
affiliated with the Muslim Student Alliance
and the Jewish Student Alliance and offered
and prioritized restorative conversations in
the form of listening circles, small group
discussions, and one-on-one meetings
facilitated with administrators, counselors
and social workers.
”
OUR COMMUNITY
Fallout continues at Bloomfield Hills High School
in wake of anti-Israel speaker.
Assembly Aftermath
STACY GITTLEMAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER
SHARI COHEN
Bloomfield Hills
High School
continued on page 22
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