Superintendent Cites Safety Concerns After Narrow 3–2 Decision
Despite a 3–2 Board of Education vote to display the Israeli flag on every campus each May, Beverly Hills Unified will not proceed with the plan this year after the superintendent halted it, citing student safety, as reported by KTLA 5 News.
The resolution approved Tuesday designates May as Jewish American Heritage Month in the district and pairs the flag display with a package of measures to combat antisemitism, including Holocaust education, lessons on Jewish history, and acknowledgment of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel, Holocaust Remembrance Day (Yom HaShoah), Iand nternational Holocaust Remembrance Day.
Trustees Rachelle Marcus and Amanda Stern voted no. Marcus warned the display could make schools a target, while Stern argued that national flags amount to “partisan material” inappropriate for a public school resolution.
The proposal drew objections from some community members who said the move appears to favor one religion and a nation engaged in the war in Gaza, where many Palestinian civilians have been killed.
Superintendent Alex Cherniss announced Thursday that campuses would not fly the Israeli flag in May, emphasizing the district’s priority to protect students and staff. The board’s resolution remains on the books, but implementation of the flag component is on hold since district policy dictates that the Superintendent has the authority to make such decisions to ensure the safety of students and staff.
The statement read, “Until further notice, no flags will be displayed on our campuses other than the flag of the United States of America and the flag of the State of California.”
