Teaneck Public Schools Board of Education: School board restricts comments about superintendent’s statement on Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel

At an October 18 Teaneck Public Schools Board of Education meeting, members of the board restricted public comments about the superintendent’s statement on Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel. The comments were relevant to matters before the board and fully protected by the First Amendment. In a November 27 letter to the board, FIRE called on the board to bring its public comment policies in line with the First Amendment and to ensure constituents are free to comment at board meetings without facing unconstitutional censorship. 

After learning that the board adopted new vague and viewpoint-discriminatory public comment guidelines, FIRE wrote again on January 8 and March 15 expressing concern about the new guidelines.