School Board President Steps Down After Daughter Posts Photo of Israeli Club Flyer in Urinal
By Dan Murphy
“That’s a urinal in Scarsdale High School, one of the wealthiest communities in the US, long seen as a safe place to raise Jewish children. An estimated 25-35% of residents identify as Jewish. Today, monsters tore down posters hung by fellow student members of the Israeli Culture Club who planned an Israeli Fest. Approved by the school’s administrators. Take note, neighbors: we will not cower, and neither will our children. The district better hold these vandals accountable.”
This was a social media post after the daughter of School Board President James Dugan posted a photo of the torn Israeli Club flyer for Scarsdale High School, which was found in a urinal. The daughter, who does not attend SHS, posted, “Keep up the good work.”
The daughter, 17 years old, took the post down and tried to explain herself-“I foolishly posted that angry, obnoxious meme about Scarsdale High School,” the girl said in a statement to The Post. “Realizing my mistake, I quickly took it down because I knew it was offensive and inappropriate, and I wish I had never posted it. “Nothing about that represents my values or those of my family,” the teen said. “I’m sorry I did it and have learned a real lesson from the response.”
But the damage was done, and the story went viral. Scarsdale has one of the largest Jewish populations in the United States. The flyer was advertising the club’s celebration of Israel’s 78th Independence Day.
Dugan waited several days before stepping down as Board President, but will remain on the school board. Dear Scarsdale Community, After reflection and prayer, I have decided to step aside from the role of President of the Scarsdale Board of Education for the remainder of my term. The events of the last several days have made it clear that my continuing in the role would be too much of a distraction from the critical work of the Board. I am sorry for the pain that this community is suffering. I empathize with that pain, and I hope that we can find some peace and unity as we work together to address and remediate incidents of antisemitism and intolerance in our schools. As our community continues to heal, I am dedicated to continuing my work as a board member alongside my colleagues as we collaborate with our school administrators to develop programs that can bring us together as a united Scarsdale. Very truly yours, James C. Dugan.
SHS Principal Ken Bonamo and Superintendent Dr. Drew Patrick wrote, “When last we wrote, we noted that our investigation was underway. Today, we can confirm that the responsible parties have been identified and the necessary steps outlined in our code of conduct are being taken. Because of student privacy laws, we cannot share more details than this; we ask for your trust that this has been dealt with appropriately.”
And that is another problem with this case, which does not involve Dugan or his daughter. Someone tore down the sign, put it in a urinal, took a photo, and shared it. Obviously, it was a male student (urinal). And those persons should be disciplined.
1193 Scarsdale residents signed a petition calling for Dugan to resign before he did.
We write as concerned members of the Scarsdale school community to strongly condemn the recent antisemitic incidents at Scarsdale High School, including the vandalism of materials for the Israeli Culture Club’s celebration of Israel’s Independence Day and the hateful conduct surrounding it. These actions are not isolated acts of disrespect, but clear acts of antisemitism that threaten the safety, dignity, and sense of belonging of students across our school community. We are calling on the District to respond with decisive action by holding those responsible accountable, addressing those who publicly supported these acts, and ensuring that leadership at every level reflects the standards of integrity, safety, and trust our community deserves.
At a time when antisemitism is rising nationally and globally, incidents like these cannot be minimized as immature mistakes. History has shown that when hatred is tolerated or ignored, it escalates. If this behavior is not addressed firmly and immediately, we risk creating an environment where far more serious harm can occur. Preventing that outcome requires leadership now.
Accountability must also extend beyond students. Members of the Board of Education are entrusted with leading our schools and must be held to the highest standards of judgment and responsibility. When a Board member’s immediate family is directly connected to the approval, encouragement, or defense of antisemitic behavior, it undermines public confidence in the Board’s ability to lead fairly and credibly during moments of crisis.
For that reason, we call for the resignation of any Board of Education member whose household is implicated in supporting these acts. Preserving trust in our school system requires that those responsible for governance be beyond reproach in matters involving student safety, discrimination, and community wellbeing.”
One comment on the petition, found at https://www.change.org/p/scarsdale-community-letter-regarding-antisemitism-student-safety-and-accountability
“It was extremely disappointing and disheartening to read that the president of the Scarsdale Board of Education was most concerned with healing his family rather than correcting the behavior of his family member, who perpetuated hatred and antisemitism in the community he claims to represent and support. If only we Jewish parents were able to heal our families as easily right now.”
Curiously, a counter-petition was posted, and signed by 536 Scarsdale residents, calling on Dugan NOT to resign. Titled, Petition in Support of Board President James C. Dugan, Civil Discourse, & Fair Governance, it reads,
“We, the undersigned members of the Scarsdale community and the Greater NY community, write to express our support for Board of Education President James C. Dugan and for a fair, principled, and lawful response to recent events at Scarsdale High School.
“We condemn antisemitism, vandalism, harassment, and intimidation in all forms. Every student in Scarsdale should feel safe, respected, and able to participate fully in school life without fear of hatred or targeting. At the same time, we reject efforts to weaponize a painful incident into a campaign to remove an elected Board President based not on his conduct in office, but on guilt by association or pressure politics.”
