A poster created by North’s Human Rights Council (HRC) was torn down from a fourth-floor bulletin board during parent-teacher conferences Thursday, Nov. 20, according to Principal Henry Turner.
The poster expressed North’s solidarity with the Jewish community and provided resources from the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). A teacher discovered the damage and reported it to Vice Principal Amy Winston, Turner said.
Turner added that the school is following all district procedures for reported acts of discrimination or hate, which include notifying the Newton Police Department and the ADL. “Because it happened after school hours, we reported it to the police, and they’re the ones who are looking into identifying who did it,” he said. According to Turner, the school is also working with the HRC to print replacements.
Senior Malia Thompson-Leong, a student member of HRC, described the council as a “student-led, staff-supported group that works to promote equity and inclusion throughout the school.”
English teacher Michele Leong, an HRC advisor, explained that the posters were originally created after Oct. 7, 2023, when the council collaborated to identify ways to support Jewish community members at North.
Both student and faculty leaders expressed shock and disappointment about the torn poster.
“I was mostly surprised that happened,” said Thompson-Leong. “The message was one of peace and solidarity, and I just didn’t really understand why anyone would feel the urge to take that poster down.”
Leong said, “I was incredibly disappointed and saddened that someone felt that they needed to tear down a student-created poster that affirmed solidarity with our Jewish students and staff members.”
Sophomore Aviva Slama, an officer of the Jewish Student Union, said the incident challenged her perception of the school community. “I was honestly really disappointed because I thought most people in Newton were better than this. It’s generally a safe city with minimal hate. So I thought people were generally accepting of Jews and also other minorities,” she said.
Slama added that students play an important role in preventing similar incidents. “If you notice microaggressions or comments, you can stand up to them because sometimes people make comments without realizing,” she said. “If it’s a worse issue, it should be reported instead of ignored.”
Turner noted that hate incidents at North have declined in recent years, citing clearer reporting systems, cultural assemblies, and student affinity groups as factors that “bring the community together and help us learn about each other.”
Thompson-Leong agreed, saying, “North is generally a very inclusive space, and when incidents do happen, the school does a pretty good job of making sure everyone gets checked in with and that it gets handled appropriately.”
Leong emphasized that the event should prompt reflection. “It’s important that we think about how we can match our intent and impact in our words and our actions,” she said. “We need to remember our core values at Newton North—affirming everyone’s right to be in this space with dignity, respect, and humanity.”
Slama added that the next generation has a responsibility to move the community forward. “I just think this shows us that it’s up to people in our generation to start changing the way we think and start advocating for change,” she said.
