Massachusetts ed tech group's board members resign after 'dangerous' anti-Israel, Holocaust comments at conference

Rick Sobey, Boston Herald on Dec 25, 2024

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Five board members from the ed tech group Massachusetts Computer Using Educators recently resigned following a MassCUE conference when speakers made “dangerous” anti-Israel and Holocaust comments.

The Herald last week reported on local educators and the Anti-Defamation League calling for an apology from MassCUE after the group’s fall education tech conference held a controversial panel on equity in education.

The discussion delved into the Middle East conflict in Israel and Gaza, and speakers referenced “Israeli genocide” and “Israeli apartheid.” A panelist also suggested that the teaching of the Holocaust has been one-sided.

MassCUE’s board president last week — more than two months after the fall conference — did not apologize for the Israeli-Palestinian discussion, and did not issue a public statement condemning all forms of hate speech. The board president said the organization was “working through our procedures internally.”

Five of MassCUE’s board members reportedly no longer supported the trajectory of the organization, and ended up resigning in the last week.

“We can confirm that five members of our board have resigned in the wake of the controversy around comments made during our fall EdTech conference,” MassCUE Board President Casey Daigle said in a statement to the Herald. “We recognize that some of the content presented was not in alignment with our mission and was not appropriate for an ed tech conference.

“MassCUE regrets that the language used by a member of our panel was hurtful,” Daigle added. “We apologize for any offense or harm that it caused. The organization is still assessing the fallout from this incident. We have much work to do, but we are committed to rebuilding the trust Massachusetts educators have in our organization and addressing the core issues that led to this unfortunate incident.”

Uxbridge High School Principal Michael Rubin had attended MassCUE’s fall education tech conference, which was held in partnership with the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents at Gillette Stadium.

Rubin, who’s also the president of his synagogue, told the Herald that the “one-sided, dangerous rhetoric” at the conference was stunning. Now, many principals and superintendents are rethinking their relationship with the organization, he noted.

“I have a hard time with statements that come out this late,” Rubin said of MassCUE’s statement following the resignation of five board members. “Actions speak louder than words.”

“They do stop short of condemning hate speech, or acknowledging any kind of antisemitism, which remains concerning to me,” he added.

Following complaints from several shocked conference attendees, the Anti-Defamation League’s New England chapter last week wrote a letter to MassCUE, as the ADL pushed for a public apology.

ADL New England’s deputy director Sara Colb said the new statement from MassCUE “falls short of taking responsibility for the harm it caused.”

“We have learned of the recent resignation of several MassCUE board members in apparent disagreement with MassCue’s handling concerns raised by members and conference attendees,” Colb said. “MassCue’s statement that it is ‘assessing the fallout from the incident’ and desire to rebuild trust was long overdue. While a welcome first step, the statement falls short of taking responsibility for the harm it caused — a necessary step towards rebuilding the trust it seeks.

“Expressions of ‘regret for any offense caused’ do not equate to either accountability or apology and will further undermine trust,” the deputy director added. “The organizers fail to acknowledge that they were made well aware by their own members of the problematic statements one of the panelists has made in the past and at one of their recent conferences, no less. They ignored their own leadership for months and invited this panelist to speak in front of an even larger audience for the second time. It is outrageous to have to make this point to educators who purport to be concerned with equitable and inclusive classrooms for all students.”

A new ADL survey of parents of K-12 students showed that among that audience, 71% of Jewish parents surveyed noted that their child experienced antisemitic incidents at school.

Also, 37% of non-Jewish parents also reported that their child had disclosed encountering antisemitism at school.

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