NOVEMBER 9 • 2023 | 29
J
N
A
group of Bloomfield Hills High
School students organized and
participated in a “Students
Organized for Palestine” walkout out-
side Bloomfield Hills High School on
Wednesday afternoon, Oct. 25. The
walkout was publicized in the Arab
American News.
Reportedly, 20 to 40 students partici-
pated in the walkout/demonstration on
school property. School officials would
not confirm the number or exact location
of the walk.
The school issued this statement
through Karen Huyghe, communications
director for Bloomfield Hills Schools:
“
A small number of Bloomfield Hills
High School students participated in a
nationwide walkout, which was not a
school-related or sponsored activity. Our
commitment to the education of our stu-
dents across all of our buildings remains
our top priority. As we do each day, our
schools will address any disruptions to
learning. Our district will continue to
support all of our students, while focus-
ing on student learning and safety. This
was not a school-sanctioned event and
took place outside of the school. BHHS
will be addressing any issues of inappro-
priate conduct/behavior by our students,
according to our code of conduct.”
A group of Jewish parents within the
Bloomfield Hills School District formally
complained to school officials about the
walkout, claiming that Jewish students
feel unsafe at the high school. School
officials said they could not discuss indi-
vidual disciplinary measures but that
participants could be subject to potential
violations of the school code of conduct.
The Council on American-Islamic
Relations-Michigan Chapter has claimed
that students who participated in the
walkout were improperly questioned by
school authorities and that one student
who refused to answer questions was
suspended. CAIR-MI said that the Arabic
and Muslim students’ free speech rights
were being violated and that they felt
threatened at school.
The “Students Organized for Palestine”
also issued “demands” that the school
board and administration review and
potentially divest from any arms man-
ufacturers in the Bloomfield Hills
Schools Endowment; approve “Students
Organized for Palestine” as an official
school club; and “commit to decolonize
the curriculum made in ‘Resolution to
Eradicate Racism’ and a review of human-
ities courses to provide an ‘unbiased his-
tory of the Palestinian territories.’”
A few days before the walkout, the
Muslim Student Association, one of the
school’s officially recognized student
organizations, posted a notice that keffi-
yehs would be sold the next day at school
during lunchtime. Keffiyehs are black and
white patterned cloths worn as scarves
or head coverings by some Palestinians
and their supporters. The post was quick-
ly removed when school officials saw
it because they had not approved it in
advance and only “school spirit” items
can be sold at the school.
A student-organized Diversity Day held
at Bloomfield Hills High School earlier
this year included a local Palestinian
activist as a speaker. Her critical and
one-sided remarks about Israel and the
Palestinians were very troubling to some
Jewish students.
Complaints from parents and local
Jewish organizations led to push back
from Arab-American parents and sev-
eral highly charged community meet-
ings. Subsequently, the Bloomfield Hills
High School principal resigned and was
replaced.
Pro-Palestinian students organize small protest
at Bloomfield Hills High School.
SHARI S. COHEN CONTRIBUTING WRITER
High School Walkout
Bloomfield Hills
High School