Portland Public Schools bars teachers from ‘personal or political’ classroom displays amid anti-Israel clash

Portland Public Schools has adopted a new rule barring teachers from displaying their personal views on a “political or personal issue” in the classroom.

According to The Oregonian, the new guidance was “quietly” adopted under an administrative directive on August 24.

“Content on classroom walls, bulletin boards or otherwise displayed in the classroom must be related to the curriculum or district sponsored pursuant to [the district’s academic freedom policy],” the rule says. “Those spaces cannot be used for an employee’s personal expression whether that is related to a political or personal issue.”

Portland Public Schools told Fox News Digital that the new rule has been in the works for a year and “acts as a reminder to all of our student-centered mission and also reminds our staff to use District spaces for educational purposes.” 

“The AD is content neutral, and we believe supports the goal of remaining focused on creating a rich educational environment for students,” the statement said.

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Portland Public Schools has adopted a new rule barring teachers from displaying their personal views on a “political or personal issue” in the classroom. (iStock)

“Personal expression by employees is not in furtherance of PPS’s academic purposes. Academic purposes, of course, will vary depending on the course content. Displays should be focused on student’s needs and tethered to the curriculum, not on the personal views of the teacher,” the statement continued.

The spokesperson confirmed that the new guidance does not bar teachers from displaying pro-LGBTQ or pro-Black Lives materials in the classroom.

“The rainbow flag and BLM poster are district-approved symbols of inclusion to often marginalized students. Posters advocating for specific positions on political positions are not student centered in that they are not rooted in our educational mission or curriculum,” they said to Fox News Digital. 

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Pride flags would not be restricted under the new guidelines, according to a statement given by Portland Public Schools to The Oregonian. (ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images)

The new guidance comes months after teachers’ unions clashed with district leaders over whether teachers had the right to engage in pro-Palestinian activism in the classroom.

Oregon Educators for Palestine, in association with the Portland Association of Teachers “PAT,” released a guide titled “Know Your Rights! Teaching & Organizing for Palestine Within Portland Public Schools,” allegedly in response to teachers being censored and facing “discrimination and harassment” at “the hands of PPS District leadership.”

The handbook alleges that teachers were censored for their pro-Palestinian activism in schools, which included assigning students work “on the topics of Settler Colonialism and Zionism.”

Portland Public Schools responded to these accusations in June, saying in a statement, “It is our expectation that staff create these spaces by facilitating respectful, age-appropriate, and standards-based learning and contextualization of major world events such as the ongoing Israel-Hamas war or, before that, the war in Ukraine.”

“When these expectations of staff are not met – such as when a teacher engages in political advocacy while working – our process is to talk with the teacher about our expectations and direct corrections, removal, or replacement of inappropriate content,” the statement to Fox News Digital continued.

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A Pro-Palestinian protester holds a placard, saying ”K-12 Teachers for Palestine” as Pro-Palestinians students, holding banners and Palestinian flags, gather to stage Pro-Palestinian demonstration to show solidarity with Palestinians and demand an immediate ceasefire for Gaza in front of the White House in Washington D.C., on May 24, 2024. After gathering, students also perform Jumah (Friday) prayer.  (Photo by Celal Gunes/Anadolu via Getty Images)

According to The Oregonian, the new policy restricting teachers from displaying their personal views on political issues has already been put into practice. 

Administrators at Grant High removed a “Stop the Genocide” poster from a social studies teachers’ doorway earlier this month. 

The school’s principal reportedly said in an email the poster violated the “PPS policy regarding political speech.”

The Portland Association of Teachers has filed a grievance with the district over the new rule.

The union alleges the guidance conflicts with “contractual language on academic freedom, which allows teachers to introduce controversial topics that are relevant to their courses, and PAT’s right to post union related materials in schools,” according to The Oregonian.

Fox News’ Joshua Q. Nelson contributed to this report.

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