On March 18, Spencer Butte Middle School math teacher Jenoge Sora Khatter was directed to remove a Palestinian flag from his classroom by a district administrator or face the consequences up to and including termination.
On March 20, Khatter was given a directive from an administrator working at the district level to remove the flag from his room. Khatter had the flag up for 56 hours in total.
Khatter was delivered a handwritten letter advising him to remove his flag during a faculty meeting.
“I think at the core of it was a concern that it could put distance or friction into relationships with students and families being served by the school,” Khatter said. This may be the reason the administration ordered the flag’s removal.
Khatter, who has been with the district since 2012, has hope that he will be able to hang up his flag again. “I’m optimistic that by the end of the school year, the flag will be back up in my classroom,” Khatter said.
On Wednesday, April 3, many 4J educators, parents and local organizers attended the School Board meeting to show support for Khatter and ask the district to allow the display of the Palestinian flag.
Nellie Schmitke-Rosek, South Eugene High School student representative on the board, spoke first, voicing her perspective on 4J’s removal of the flag.
“I have no doubt that some people genuinely are having feelings of discomfort about a Palestinian flag being displayed in the room,” Schmitke-Rosek said. “I also believe that silence about the suffering of Palestinian people is a source of discomfort for others. More significantly, the silence enables the violence causing the suffering.”
Schmitke-Rosek also said that Khatter’s display of the flag is a way of creating a sense of safety in his classroom, and may be a subtle act of care for some students.
“This is an action that communicates that persons in positions of power and greater authority, even [greater] than the teacher, do not see and perhaps do not care for the students that identify in some way with the suffering of the Palestinian people.”
On April 3, the Eugene Islamic Center released a letter stating “We at the Eugene Islamic Center stand in support and solidarity with our brother Jenoge Sora Khatter in the exercise of his right to express, inform and educate his students with a display of the national flag of Palestine.”
Khatter says that he hopes the conversation about his Palestinian flag will continue.
“My hope would be that not just at [Spencer Butte], but schools in this district, and schools in Oregon, there would be a variety of forums for students and community members to engage in structured events, conversations [and] presentations on these topics,” Khatter said.
While 4J continues to review its policy on the flag and whether or not it can remain on display, Khatter understands that it may be a while before a decision is made.
“It takes a while for not only a new policy but its rationale, to get agreed upon,” Khatter said.
Khatter was informed on April 11 that there is no appeal process for non-disciplinary directives. “For now I’ve done all I can,” Khatter said.
Jenoge Sora Khatter speaks to the Eugene 4J school board during the public comments section of th emeeting. People attended the April 3, 2024 Eugene 4J School Board meeting showing their support for Khatter, a Spencer Butte Middle School math teacher who was directed to remove a Palestinian flag from his classroom by a district administrator, or face consequences up to and including termination. (Alex Hernandez/Emerald)
