Last week, Fair Lawn High School was the subject of some controversy following the removal of both yellow ribbons—symbolizing the Israeli hostages taken by Hamas on October 7—and Israeli flags from the Jewish Student Union (JSU) booth at the high school’s club fair. According to a New York Post article, the removal of both the ribbons and the flags was a “blatant” display of antisemitism, but other sources have reiterated that the situation was “blown out of proportion.”
Fair Lawn High School parent Adi Vaxman reported to the Post that the JSU club was asked by the administration to remove a display of yellow ribbons, as well as an Israeli flag, both deemed too “political.” Liora Rez, founder of the group StopAntisemitism, stated to the Post that the incident was an “alarming case of hypocrisy and blatant antisemitism.” Both Vaxman and Rez noted that the Muslim Student Association (MSA) was allowed to continue its display of a keffiyeh long after the JSU was asked to take down its items, which was “nothing short of a direct violation of Jewish students’ rights to express their identity and humanitarian concerns,” according to Rez.
Vaxman’s account of the incident noted that the Jewish students felt “intimidated” by Assistant Principal Dr. Baptiste-Bosco, who had the JSU display taken down while being notably “friendly” to the MSA group. According to Vaxman, the situation was only resolved with a removal of the MSA’s display once students had complained about the disparity in treatment and the incident was reported to Principal Paul Gorski.
According to some other anonymous reports from Fair Lawn parents, the incident was not as tense as Vaxman described. These accounts note that while the JSU club was still asked to take down its display, the MSA was asked immediately afterward, and there was little fighting involved. These reports described the incident as “blown out of proportion,” and the New York Post story as “out of context.”
With a township population that is nearly 40% Jewish, Fair Lawn’s mayor posted a statement to Facebook to clarify the story as “untrue.” Mayor Gail Rottenstrich stated that the claims published by the New York Post have been “inaccurately and widely circulated, accusing Fair Lawn High School of banning the wearing of yellow ribbons as a symbol of support for the Israeli hostages.” She also reaffirmed the students’ rights to wear yellow ribbons in school.
“The legal responsibilities of the borough, mayor and council do not overlap with the Fair Lawn School District or Board of Education, so I do not speak on behalf of the borough here in an official capacity,” she noted in her post. “However, the accusations of antisemitism being trafficked are intentionally inflammatory and must be addressed, and I feel it is my moral responsibility to do so as the mayor of Fair Lawn, and as a proud Jew. […] As toxic antisemitism and anti-Israel sentiments and incidents have risen to an all time high, we need to continue to loudly voice our support for the community and ensure the physical and emotional safety of our residents.”
In her post, Rottenstrich linked to the official statement from the Fair Lawn Board of Education, which said the following:
“The article in question is inaccurate; it does not include all of the facts or share the actual context of the situation. To ensure transparency and provide a complete picture, the district is sharing this update with our community.
“During this year’s Club Fair [on October 2], both the Muslim Student Association (MSA) and the Jewish Student Union (JSU) were asked to make adjustments to items that had not been part of their original displays. The decision to ask both groups to modify their displays was made in response to the disruptive impact that certain items were having on the learning environment. The school did not take any position with regard to certain symbols or items that were added to those clubs’ displays, but simply asked both clubs to restore their displays to their original content. The school appropriately ensured that the Club Fair event provided an open opportunity for students to explore the various clubs on display.
“We are very proud to note that both the MSA and JSU are actively involved in the Anti-Defamation League’s (ADL) ‘No Place for Hate’ initiative. In fact, student ambassadors from both groups played a vital role in fostering dialogue during the Club Fair event. Our students’ leadership and efforts to mediate certain concerns helped maintain a respectful atmosphere. We commend those students for their positive contributions. However, due to the disruption of the event and heightened emotions surrounding the displays, both groups were reminded to follow the event guidelines to ensure the smooth operation of the Club Fair event. While our student ambassadors made commendable efforts to resolve the conflict through peer mediation, the administration ultimately determined that direct intervention was necessary. That said, it is also important to note that no students were disciplined in connection with these adjustments and that the wearing of yellow ribbons by students is permitted.”
The statement concluded with the Board of Education’s commitment to “promoting peace, open dialogue and mutual respect.”
