A Pennsylvania school board member, Jamina Clay-Dingle, has announced her plans to resign following backlash over a controversial post about the Israel-Hamas war. Clay-Dingle made the announcement in a Facebook post on Thursday. The post, which has since been deleted, stated that although she is stepping down from the school board, she will continue to oversee ten schools as the Assistant Superintendent for the School District of Philadelphia.
The controversy surrounding Clay-Dingle’s post was discussed at a Colonial School Board meeting on Thursday night. Community members attended the meeting in large numbers to express their condemnation of her statements. Concerned citizens lined up to speak for over an hour, expressing their concerns and objections.
The School District of Philadelphia released a statement regarding the situation, emphasizing that Clay-Dingle’s views and opinions expressed in her Facebook post do not align with those of the district. The statement also highlighted that employees are protected by the First Amendment when speaking on matters of public concern that are not part of their job duties, as outlined in the Board of Education Policy 320.
The board president addressed the controversy at the meeting and confirmed that the board will vote to officially accept Clay-Dingle’s resignation next month.
