Community members urge investigation after alleged FOIA-linked retaliation and call to keep district's ceasefire resolution

Community members used the public-comment period at the Ann Arbor Public Schools board meeting to call for immediate inquiry and protected public-records rights after what several speakers described as retaliatory harassment.

Laura Pasek, who said she has written about the district for the Detroit Jewish News, told trustees she was “appalled to hear that a member of our community was threatened, seemingly in retaliation for her organization's support for new leadership on the board.” Pasek said the threat referenced filing a public-records request and added, “No one should ever be threatened or face retaliation for exercising their First Amendment right, including public-records requests.”

Candace Roth, an attorney and co-founder of the nonprofit Focus on Education, said members of her group and a journalist who filed a FOIA request had become “victims of harassment and defamatory statements online by an individual connected to this board,” and urged trustees to “take immediate action to find out what's going on here and to protect the integrity of our educational community.”

Several parents and community members addressed staffing and program shortcomings, focusing in particular on Mitchell Elementary. Amber Horwitz said Mitchell has a large proportion of students with IEPs and described a multi-year pattern of staff turnover and contract reliance for special-education roles; she asked the board for an immediate action plan and warned that families may file a state-level complaint if the district does not act within two weeks.

Multiple speakers also defended a January board resolution calling for a bilateral ceasefire in the Middle East. Jasmine Moll, a parent and educator, said she was proud the district had passed the resolution and asked trustees not to rescind it. Nancy Khalil argued the resolution should be expanded to include Lebanon and the West Bank and said the board must implement the resolution's commitments to support students and condemn hate speech.

A number of public comments also repeated an allegation that an Ann Arbor district counselor called a Palestinian or Muslim student a “terrorist,” a characterization several speakers tied to federal review. Salima Nawab said Arab and Muslim American students are carrying an "immense emotional burden" and that the district must “commit to combating Islamophobia and discrimination.” Trustee members thanked commenters and noted written comments are available in the public agenda packet.

The board did not take action during the public-comment period. Superintendent Jazz Parks later acknowledged the concerns, reiterated that the district would take reports of hateful language seriously and said some personnel details could not be discussed publicly, and introduced a staffing clarification from district staff.