Colonial School Board member resigns after controversial Facebook post about Israel's military

PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- There was outrage within the Colonial School District after a controversial Facebook post concerning Israel's military was made by a board member.

The post, which has since been deleted, was made by Dr. Jamina Clay.

She submitted her letter of resignation Thursday, saying in another Facebook post that she did not want to distract from the work of the school board or district.

"I recently made a post on my Facebook page where I intended to draw attention to the conflict in the Middle East. Upon reflection and after having conversations with loved ones and friends, I understand that my choice of words may have caused harm to many, and the impact did not match my intent," said Clay Thursday morning.

Residents packed Thursday night's school board meeting, voicing concerns about the post and looking for answers. Many called her post antisemitic.

"It is essential to clarify such misconceptions and speak against disinformation, which can fuel prejudice and division within our community," said Andrew Goretsky, of Whitemarsh Township.

After residents spoke, many were met with applause.

"The hateful and antisemitic post yesterday from a member of the Colonial School Board was shocking and incredibly hurtful to Jewish members of this community. Her statement was intellectually dishonest, hateful and frankly un-American," said Spencer Yablon, of Whitemarsh Township. "Your colleague's comments bring to the surface what Jews have always felt: That antisemitism is all around us."

"We accept her apology," said Mark Wolfheimer, president of Congregation Or Ami in Lafayette Hill, Pennsylvania. "We understand that everyone had different opinions. What we are really looking forward to doing is meeting with Dr. Clay to have a conversation."

Dr. Clay will continue to serve as assistant superintendent for the School District of Philadelphia, where she oversees 10 schools.

"The Board of Education Policy 320 states that 'employees are protected by the First Amendment when speaking on a matter of public concern that is not part of their job duties.' The views and opinions expressed in Dr. Clay's Facebook post do not reflect the position, opinion or views of the School District of Philadelphia," said a spokesperson for the School District of Philadelphia.

Her resignation is effective immediately, but the board will still need to make an acceptance vote, which will likely come next month. The vote couldn't happen Thursday night because the item wasn't already on the publicly posted agenda.

The Colonial School District released the following statement on the matter:

"Today the Colonial School District received a resignation letter from School Board member Dr. Jamina Clay. This resignation came following a post she made on social media related to the conflict in the Middle East. The post was offensive to many and resulted in numerous emails calling for her resignation or censure, as well as a call for many to attend tonight's School Board meeting to voice their concern.

Dr. Clay submitted her resignation letter this morning, stating that she did not wish to distract from the work of the School Board or the District. Following the receipt of her resignation letter, we sent a message to the community to notify them of this development and to reiterate our commitment to creating a safe, inclusive environment for students, faculty, and staff.

Colonial School District prides itself on cultivating a sense of belonging. All our schools work hard each year to maintain their designations as No Place for Hate Schools as part of our partnership with the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), and take part in many other initiatives and programs meant to encourage equity, inclusion, and belonging. We condemn all forms of hatred and violence and remind all that we have counseling services available for anyone who may be struggling.

Dr. Clay has indicated her resignation is effective immediately, but the Board will still need to make an acceptance vote. That will not occur at tonight's Board meeting, since the Sunshine Act prohibits voting on items not already on the publicly posted agenda. Once Dr. Clay's resignation has been voted on by the Board, information will be shared about the process involved with appointing a new Board member to fill the vacancy. The anticipated acceptance vote will likely occur after the reorganization meeting in December.

The work to cultivate a sense of belonging in our schools is ever-evolving and never truly complete. We continue this work in a spirit of kindness, empathy, and in the hopes of moving our district forward in a positive direction."