From the Portland DSA Steering Committee:
At the Beaverton School Board meeting this Thursday, after an hour-long closed-door session, a motion was made to engage a “third-party investigator” to look into the actions and comments of Dr. Tammy Carpenter, an elected school board member and a proud member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA). What was her alleged offense? Being an unabashed supporter of Palestinian liberation in the face of the ongoing genocide in Gaza. While discussions in executive session are legally withheld from public records laws, our understanding is that this retaliation was instigated by the Jewish Federation of Portland, an organization lobbying for Zionist interests and the State of Israel that has a history of waging smear campaigns against pro-Palestinian elected officials and community members.
We commend Dr. Carpenter for fighting for the rights of all children – in Beaverton, in Palestine, and around the world. We believe that children have the right to go to school in peace, unburdened by war and famine, and that those defending them are on the right side of history. As the United States’ funding of Israel grows increasingly unpopular, it is clear this “investigation” into Dr. Carpenter is a desperate maneuver to force local governments to crack down on free speech, and to go down with the sinking ship of the Zionist project. In the last 600 days of genocide in Gaza, every public school and university in the territory has been destroyed by the Israeli military. We cannot allow this to continue.
Dr. Carpenter is a beacon of community integrity and is the only elected official on the Beaverton school board to regularly hold town halls, respond to constituent inquiries, and share information with families. She is also a champion of unions and workers’ rights in our schools. It is no wonder that the political establishment is colluding with the Jewish Federation of Portland to slander her.
This is just the latest example of how the US’ war industry attempts to silence dissent around Palestine. Schools – and by extension, school boards – should be a place where people can speak freely and learn the truth about our military’s complicity in genocide. The people of Beaverton elected Dr. Carpenter, and she is our voice for justice.
We call on all supporters of free speech and a free Palestine to rally at the Beaverton School Board meeting to show our opposition to this undemocratic retaliation! Join DSA and allies this Monday, June 2nd, 6:30pm at the Beaverton School District offices at 1260 NW Waterhouse Ave to defend Dr. Carpenter, along with all those facing political retaliation for their support of Palestinian children and families. No to Genocide! Solidarity Forever!