This month, the Central Bucks school board passed new policies governing student clubs and their social media use after concerns were raised over a high school club’s antisemitic posts. And unlike the previous Republican-led school board, they didn’t waste over $1 million to pretend a clearly identified problem didn’t exist. Instead, they judiciously and deliberately dealt with the issue to find the most effective solution that serves students, teachers and wider district community best.
Under the new guidelines, students will be required to consult with the club’s faculty advisor before posting on official CBSD club social meeting accounts. The new policy also limits club posts to issues concerning club activities, recruitment for new members, and members and their achievements.
Discussion around the need for a more defined policy began in March when the Muslim Student Association (MSA) at Central Bucks West posted a prayer for Ramadan on Instagram that said “Oh Allah, deal with the usurping Jews and the treacherous Zionists.”
The MSA is led by CB West Spanish teacher, Youssef Abdelwahab, who has taught at the district for the last five years. Abdelwahab has been under fire for interacting with students on his private business page, where he sells dew rags with designs inspired by keffiyehs and frequently makes posts in support of Palestinian resistance and against Israel and “Zionists.”
Over the last few months, dozens of Jewish and Muslim families have come to CBSD school board meetings to voice their opinions on Abdelwahab and the proposed policy changes. Some families expressed concern that Abdelwahab was creating a hostile environment for Jewish students while others spoke in support of Abdelwahab and against the proposed club policy, which they feared would silence Muslim students.
Abdelwahab himself apologized for the post made by the MSA (stating that he missed it) but has opposed any policy changes. “This will not only impact the [Muslim Student Association] but many clubs that value and promote positive civic engagement and awareness of local and global issues,” he said. “It discourages students from learning about current events, constructive dialogue, and using critical thinking. These are vital skills needed for engendering productive and engaging global citizens of the 21st century.”
The board listened respectfully to the community’s concerns and pledged to ensure that no forms of bigotry would be tolerated in CBSD.
But, the issue of potential antisemitism extended beyond public comments at school board meetings. Shortly after the MSA’s post about “usurping Jews,” a federal complaint was filed and the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) began an investigation to determine if the District has tolerated antisemitism in its schools. In an interview with the Philadelphia Inquirer, CBSD’s new Superintendent, Dr. Steven Yanni, noted that the District is “working through the final stages of the federal complaint.”
The immediate discussions and unanimous vote for policy change seem to be clear indications that the District has taken the complaint seriously and is working to ensure that Jewish students feel safe at CBSD. This stands in stark contrast to how the previous board handled a similar accusation of discrimination.
In 2022, while former Superintendent Dr. Abe Lucabaugh led CBSD, the OCR launched an investigation to determine if the District was creating a hostile environment towards LGBTQ students. Instead of taking the necessary steps to investigate and rectify the problem, the Republican-majority Board spent over $1 million on lawyers to counter the accusations.
During a two hour sham trial, Duane Morris Attorneys William McSwain (a failed Republican gubernatorial candidate who called a student LGBTQ club in another district “leftist political indoctrination”) and Michael Rinaldi, attempted to discount every allegation of discrimination waged against the District. They concluded that the environment in CBSD was exemplary for LGBTQ students, despite student and parent testimony to the contrary, despite PAYS data (which revealed a 122 percent increase in bullying because of sexual orientation in 2021), and even despite former superintendent Dr. Abram Lucabaugh’s own experiences of listening to first hand accounts of mistreated students. Rather than truly acknowledging the issue and taking steps to rectify it, the lawyers attempted to pin most of the blame on Andrew Burgess, a middle school teacher who had been accused of bypassing the chain of command to assist a trans student.
Under the Republican-led Board’s leadership, Burgess was fired and his reputation was sullied with baseless claims. Since the Board switched hands to a Democratic led majority, Burgess has been reinstated as a middle school teacher and the Board has settled the lawsuit filed by Burgess which accused the District of retaliation against him.
The manner in which the current board has handled the current situation is a clear indication that the new board prioritizes the wellbeing of students over political games and personal vendettas.
