The superintendent of Birmingham Public Schools in suburban Detroit condemned the display of antisemitic, anti-Israel stickers at an elementary school event on Tuesday.
The materials appeared at a table during a “Multicultural Night” at Beverly Elementary School in Beverly Hills, Mich., where families had gathered to celebrate diverse backgrounds. Some stickers included slogans such as “occupation is not freedom” and “f**k Zionism, free Palestine” as well as a sticker with an image of an assault rifle, according to local reports.
According to a statement to families from superintendent Embekka Roberson, shared by Jewish advocacy group StopAntisemitism, school officials took immediate action to address and remove the “inappropriate and offensive” stickers.
“We do not tolerate intimidation, bullying, threats, discrimination or antisemitism in our schools,” she wrote.
Roberson noted that the stickers were not on display during the principal’s pre-event walkthrough, adding that school officials are reviewing “processes and planning to strengthen safeguards for future events.”
Leo Terrell, senior counsel at the U.S. Department of Justice, called the parents who brought the stickers to the school “shameful.”
“What is wrong with these people?” he stated, sharing a StopAntisemitism post that identified one of the parents involved as a local realtor.
The Jewish Federation of Detroit described the incident as “shocking and offensive,” warning that such displays contribute to a climate of rising antisemitism.
“At a time of rising antisemitism, when violent acts of hate have taken place here in Metro Detroit, we cannot allow the normalization of threats and intimidation targeting the Jewish community,” the Federation stated. “We urge a full and thorough investigation and expect that those responsible for spreading hate will be held accountable.”
