Chicago Board of Education President Apologizes for Antisemitic Facebook Posts

Mayor Brandon Johnson’s Response

CITY HALL — Mayor Brandon Johnson said Wednesday his newly appointed Chicago Board of Education president is “seeking atonement” for making antisemitic comments but did not call for his removal as requested by just over half of the City Council.

Background

The mayor’s comments came less than a day after Jewish Insider reported that Board President Rev. Mitchell Ikenna Johnson crafted more than a dozen Facebook posts with antisemitic statements following Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which led to the death of at least 1,200 Israelis, according to Reuters. Israel has since launched a full-scale offensive on Gaza, resulting in the death of 45,000 Palestinians, Reuters reported.

Mayor’s Statement

“I know Rev. Mitchell Johnson has worked hard as a faith leader in his interfaith work,” the mayor told reporters Wednesday after a City Council meeting. “I know he has since come forth and has apologized for his comments and how harmful that they have been to the people of the Jewish community.”

The mayor continued: “These are not sentiments that I subscribe to and I do appreciate Rev. Johnson being willing to be held accountable for statements that he has made that has caused harm.”

Rev. Johnson’s Apology

In a prepared statement, Rev. Johnson issued an apology “to the Jewish community” for his remarks, and said he has fought antisemitism throughout his career.

“The remarks I posted were reactive and insensitive, and I am deeply sorry for not being more precise and deliberate in my comments posted last year,” Rev. Johnson wrote. “Since then, I have asked for and received feedback from my Jewish friends and colleagues, who helped me be more thoughtful in the way I address these sensitive matters.”

He added that he is “committed to making sure that antisemitism and hate of any kind have no place in Chicago Public Schools.”

Background on the Posts

Since the October 7 attacks, posts from Rev. Johnson — who is not related to the mayor — have ranged in extremity. Several of his posts shared support for Palestinians and called for a ceasefire in Gaza, which the Chicago City Council has also formally done as part of a narrowly passed resolution earlier this year.

In December 2023, he shared a video of former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, stating, “And, like him, I believe that Israel has a right to exist just as the Palestinians have a right to exist. Further, Israel must retreat to the original land border which was illegally granted to them by the United Nations.”

Other posts have gone far further. On February 20, Johnson wrote, “The Nazi Germans’ ideology has been adopted by the Zionist Jews.” In an apparent support for Hamas, Johnson also wrote that “people have an absolute right to attack their oppressors by any means necessary!!!”

Jewish Insider reports that posts Johnson reshared came from anti-Israel and Russian propaganda accounts, as well as a conspiracy theorist.

Reactions and Calls for Removal

Elected officials, at least one school board candidate, and some political groups called for the board president to step down Wednesday, including 27 alderpeople — just over half of the City Council.

Asked about the comments, Gov. JB Pritzker, who is Jewish, said he did not condone the remarks, and that proper vetting “doesn’t seem to have occurred here,” as reported by Capitol Fax.

“Look, can you miss things in people’s vets? Sure. But it feels like Facebook posts are pretty easy to find,” Pritzker said.

Conclusion

Rev. Johnson’s apology and the mayor’s response come as a surprise to many, given the severity of the posts and the harm they may have caused. The incident raises questions about the vetting process and the qualifications required for public positions, especially those involving education and community leadership.

FAQs

Q: What did the mayor say about Rev. Johnson’s posts?

A: The mayor stated that he knows Rev. Johnson has worked hard as a faith leader and has apologized for his comments, which he acknowledges have been harmful to the Jewish community.

Q: Did the mayor call for Rev. Johnson’s removal?

A: No, the mayor did not call for Rev. Johnson’s removal, despite requests from over half of the City Council.

Q: What did Gov. Pritzker say about the posts?

A: Gov. Pritzker stated that he did not condone the remarks and that proper vetting “doesn’t seem to have occurred here.”

Q: What did Rev. Johnson say in his apology?

A: Rev. Johnson issued an apology to the Jewish community, stating that his posts were reactive and insensitive, and that he is committed to making sure that antisemitism and hate of any kind have no place in Chicago Public Schools.