A screenshot of the emails obtained by Records Raccoon – Photo Credit: Records Raccoon
PORTLAND, Ore. — Internal Portland Public Schools emails exchanged starting from late April show the Grant High School Social Studies Department arguing over how to discuss the Israel-Hamas war with their students and even among themselves. The records were originally requested by advocacy group Parents Defending Education and then subsequently obtained by Records Raccoon after becoming aware of the request.
The debate was started after Michael Williams, a Social Studies Teacher at Grant High School, sent an Atlantic article to the department titled “Charge Palestine with Genocide, Too.” that was published in The Atlantic’s Ideas section, an opinion vertical. Multiple teachers responded with frustration and anger after receiving the article. “34,000 Palestinians killed and THIS is the article you felt compelled to share with the social studies dept!?!?!??!”, wrote Suzanna Kassouf in a reply to the chain. Kassouf’s district email signature also included a link labeled “Suggested read: Why the Narrative That Critical Race Theory “Makes White Kids Feel Guilty” Is a Lie.”
Kassouf assigned a “Palestine-Israel Unit Final Essay”, as evidenced by notices sent to her email showing late submissions by students. Kassouf is also subscribed to several political-education-themed newsletters, such as the Zinn Education Project, which is dedicated to bringing the works of left-wing scholar Howard Zinn into the classroom. She also received an email stating that interested persons could now self-organize screenings of the documentary film “Israelism”.
In a follow-up exchange after the initial thread, Kassouf wrote to her colleague Juila Kirkpatrick, “This is why I feel isolated in the department. I thought maybe those two, of all people, might
be on my side?” Michael Yun, whose role is unclear due to redactions, writes, “I can’t believe this! Unbelievable responses from the other teachers!” in the same exchange.
Later, Kassouf writes a lengthier email which goes into claims about destruction in Gaza. She closes the email by writing, “I hope as social studies teachers, we can view this conflict with a strong analysis of power and justice and consider how ‘two historically oppressed groups are being pitted against each other in service of white supremacy
and colonialism.’*” Her email quoted an article titled Common Dreams with a link, however in the records provided this link is nonfunctional.
The total emails received by Records Raccoon total over 600 pages and as a result, RR has decided to break this story into several parts to be published over a period of time.
By: Tobias Sablewood, Editor