Gov. J.B. Pritzker and greater than two dozen aldermen criticized Mayor Brandon Johnson for not totally contemplating his decide for varsity board president, citing the chosen candidate’s historical past of repeatedly posting about Israel’s year-long offensive in Gaza.
The Rev. Mitchell “Ikenna” Johnson was appointed by the mayor to the college board’s prime management position in spite of everything seven earlier members resigned earlier this month. But some state lawmakers and City Council members have questioned that call and referred to as for his resignation over the handfuls of anti-Israel posts he made, first reported by Jewish interior.
“To the extent that anybody has been put ahead for a place, particularly one as vital as president of Chicago colleges, I feel vetting is vitally vital. That does not seem to have occurred right here,” Pritzker mentioned when requested concerning the posts at a information convention within the Loop a couple of new state initiative, “Help Stop Hate.”
Reverend Johnson, who is not any relation to the mayor, has labored with the American Jewish Committee and the Simon Wiesenthal Center. After the Hamas assault on October 7, he started posting concerning the conflict between Israel and Hamas on Facebook. He usually revealed a number of occasions a day, with rising frequency in the course of the winter.
“My Jewish colleagues appear drunk on Israeli energy and can dwell to see their fee,” he wrote in a Dec. 19 put up. “German Nazi ideology has been adopted by Zionist Jews,” in one other dated February 20. dozens of Rev. Johnson’s Facebook posts about Israel continued into the spring.
After the posts have been made public on social media, greater than 20 aldermen signed a letter calling for Johnson’s quick resignation, stating that his “continued position on the college board is non-negotiable.” They referred to as on each Rev. Johnson and the mayor to appropriate “this horrible mistake.”
“This scenario is a failure of management and judgment on the a part of Mayor Johnson and his government group,” the letter reads. “Earlier this month, Mayor Johnson informed reporters that his appointees could be totally vetted earlier than being sworn in. It is evident that this didn’t happen.”
The letter instantly addressed Rev. Johnson’s December Facebook put up about being “drunk on Israeli energy.” That put up “unfairly holds American Jews chargeable for the actions of militaries midway world wide,” the letter states.
In an announcement to the Tribune on Wednesday, Rev. Johnson mentioned he has labored “hand in hand” with Chicago’s Jewish group to fight anti-Semitism.
“I deeply remorse that I used to be no more exact and considerate in my feedback revealed final 12 months,” he mentioned. “Since then I’ve requested for and acquired suggestions from my Jewish associates and colleagues who’ve helped me be extra considerate in how I method these delicate points.”
Ald. Debra Silverstein, 50, the one Jewish member of the council, mentioned “her group is absolutely upset.” He spoke a couple of taking pictures that occurred Saturday in West Rogers Park, noting that the taking pictures sufferer attended his synagogue. Silverstein mentioned the taking pictures “has not acquired the correct consideration from City Hall.”
“I do not imagine this administration helps the Jewish group, and I do not know the way the vetting course of allowed this individual to get on our college board,” Silverstein mentioned. “I’m so involved about our Jewish college students in CPS and their safety. To have somebody on the college board who has tweeted anti-Semitic and anti-Zionist messages is appalling to me.”
Responding to Rev. Johnson’s posts on Wednesday, Mayor Johnson mentioned the council president apologized for the feedback he made and the way dangerous they “have been to individuals within the Jewish group.”
“I do know that … he’ll meet with Jewish leaders within the metropolis of Chicago and elsewhere to start working towards restoration and therapeutic,” Johnson mentioned. “These aren’t sentiments I subscribe to, and I respect that Reverend Johnson is keen to be held accountable for statements he has made that (have) triggered hurt.
The mayor mentioned Rev. Johnson’s feedback “under no circumstances replicate … his dedication to making sure that each single baby in our public faculty system is seen and heard.”
Councilors have lengthy been divided over the conflict in Gaza. The metropolis council narrowly permitted a decision calling for a everlasting ceasefire in Gaza final 12 months after Mayor Johnson forged a deciding vote. Chicago has develop into the most important American metropolis to name for a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel.
Mayor Johnson, a former CTU trainer and organizer, additionally could have performed a job within the earlier faculty board’s resignation after unsuccessfully pressuring Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez for a controversial mortgage after which threatening to oust him.
Ten members of the Board of Education can be elected in November, and Mayor Johnson will appoint 11 subsequent 12 months to hitch them. If the mayor chooses to nominate Rev. Johnson, he could stay president. That worries some lawmakers.
Democratic congresswoman Sara Feigenholtz mentioned this a post about X, previously generally known as Twitter, was “shocked and appalled that the mayor did not vet somebody earlier than nominating them” Tuesday evening. He requested the mayor to ask for the resignation of the college board president. Otherwise he threatened state intervention.
Last week, NBC reported that the brand new president had been disbarred from his job as a lawyer in Ohio and {that a} lien had been positioned on his residence for failing to pay baby assist.
When requested if the allegations have been correct, Rev. Johnson responded final Friday that he was “prompt for this place due to (his) management skill and talent to get issues achieved.”
“This is the reality,” Rev. Johnson mentioned. “The excellent news is I wasn’t employed to be an accountant and I wasn’t employed to be a lawyer.”
One of the seven appointed faculty board members, Debby Pope, who not too long ago went non-public on X, additionally reposted a number of pro-Palestinian and anti-Zionist tweets.
The faculty board, at present chaired by Rev. Johnson, will possible determine the destiny of Martinez and the controversial $300 million high-interest mortgage requested by the mayor to assist finance a brand new CTU contract and steadiness the district’s finances.
The subsequent Board of Education assembly is scheduled for Friday.
The Chicago Tribune’s Alice Yin and Jake Sheridan contributed.
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