High School Teacher Disciplined for Displaying Poster Depicting Jewish Opposition
Title: Free Speech, Artistic Expression, and Controversy at Evanston Township High School
In Evanston, Illinois, a controversy over educator free speech and artistic expression has ignited a heated debate surrounding school policies, the boundaries of political expression in classrooms, and the interpretation of Jewish identity and dissent. At the center of this issue is Andrew Ginsberg, a long-serving social studies teacher at Evanston Township High School (ETHS), who was directed by administrators to remove a poster from his classroom that some perceived as controversial.
The Artwork at the Center of Debate
The poster in question is a print created by Jewish artist Liora Ostroff for the magazine Jewish Currents. The design reimagines text from Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel’s 1971 anti-war essay “Dissent” within the structure of a Shiviti — a Jewish mystical artform traditionally used for prayer and spiritual reflection. While Ostroff’s broader political statements critique Israel’s military actions, the specific artwork displayed by Ginsberg contains no mention of Gaza, Palestine, or Israel.
This nuance hasn’t prevented the work from attracting administrative scrutiny. According to Ginsberg, school officials notified him in March that a complaint had been filed about the poster’s presence. They requested he remove it, citing district policies on “teaching controversial subjects” and how educators are to “interact with students.”
When Ginsberg initially refused to remove the piece, he was warned of ensuing “progressive discipline,” potentially including formal reprimand or termination. Ultimately, he complied with the removal order but posted a note explaining why and has since come under investigation for what the school described as “alleged misconduct.”
Community Response and Public Campaign
The incident has sparked public backlash, especially among Evanston residents and community groups. A coalition named Evanston Ceasefire launched an advocacy campaign in support of Ginsberg, collecting more than 3,200 letters addressed to ETHS school board members urging the district to reverse its decision and denounce what critics describe as censorship.
At a May 13 school board meeting, 18 residents voiced concerns about the implications for academic freedom and Jewish identity. Many of them condemned the district’s actions as a violation of Ginsberg’s free speech and as antithetical to the values of educational inquiry and critical thinking.
Artist Liora Ostroff also weighed in, penning a letter to the local Evanston Roundtable. Ostroff, who is also Jewish, called the removal of her work “perplexing” and even “antisemitic,” since the artwork originates from a long Jewish tradition of dissent. She questioned why administrators wouldn’t clarify what about the print was supposedly inappropriate, commenting that their lack of specificity “makes it difficult to respond.”
District Defense and Policy Context
In response to growing public criticism, the Evanston Township High School Board of Education issued an essay published in the Evanston Roundtable. The statement reaffirmed their support for “courageous conversations” in education but emphasized the need to maintain a learning environment where “no student ever feels unwelcome or unsafe.”
Critics argue that the statement lacked transparency, particularly as the board never identified specific elements of the artwork that may have warranted its removal. Additionally, the board cited internal policies and national guidelines concerning educators’ rights, namely the district’s policy on “Teaching About Controversial Subjects,” which mandates that educators present issues with recognized academic balance.
Legal precedents were also invoked. According to the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2006 Garcetti v. Ceballos ruling, public employees — including educators — may not be protected under the First Amendment when expressing job-related speech. The National Education Association (NEA) expands on this principle, stating that such speech can be limited when it causes significant disruption, complaints, or negative public attention.
Academic Freedom in a Politicized Climate
This intersection of free speech, educator authority, and community standards underscores a broader cultural backdrop: schools as battlegrounds for political and ideological debate. In recent years, public schools across the U.S. have faced heightened scrutiny over curriculum content, social justice education, and Palestine-Israel discourse among students and staff.
For Ginsberg, who has actively supported pro-Palestinian student organizing, the district’s action appears, to many of his supporters, as targeting an educator for advocating marginalized voices. Yet from the district’s perspective, maintaining neutrality in classrooms is a necessary precaution to prevent perceived bias or student discomfort.
Conclusion: A Reflection on Dissent and Democracy
As Evanston residents and school officials grapple with these issues, the controversy brings to light essential questions about the role educators play in fostering dialogue and dissent, especially when those conversations challenge prevailing norms or institutions.
The response to Ginsberg’s case underscores the tension between institutional policy and the foundational principles of democratic education — namely that inquiry, critique, and freedom of expression must be protected, particularly within spaces of learning.
Ginsberg’s case has