Chicago school board president resigns after controversial comments about Hamas, 9/11, women
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Just a week after he was sworn into office, Chicago Board of Education President Mitchell L. Ikenna Johnson is resigning at the request of Mayor Brandon Johnson, amid growing pressure over a string of controversial Facebook posts supporting Hamas, backing 9/11 conspiracy theories, and making sexist comments.
Mayor Johnson's office confirmed Thursday afternoon that Rev. Johnson has resigned, effective immediately, at the mayor's request.
"Reverend Mitchell Johnson's statements were not only hurtful but deeply disturbing. I want to be clear: antisemitic, misogynistic, and conspiratorial statements are unacceptable," Johnson said in a statement. "My administration is committed to upholding the mission of transforming our public education system. It has become clear that his continued participation in the BOE would hinder the important work we need to accomplish for our schools."
The mayor picked Rev. Johnson as president of the school board earlier this month, after replacing the entire board when the previous members resigned en masse. Johnson and the other new board members were sworn in on Oct. 24 at a meeting of the board's agenda review committee.
Governor and vast majority of City Council had demanded Rev. Johnson's removal
Gov. JB Pritzker on Thursday joined 40 members of the Chicago City Council and several Jewish leaders in calling for Rev. Johnson, who is not related to the mayor, to resign as school board president after multiple offensive social media posts came to light, many of which critics said were antisemitic.
In one post on his Facebook page after the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel, Rev Johnson wrote, "People have an absolute right to attack their oppressors by any means necessary."
In another Facebook post in January, Rev. Johnson shared a video espousing the conspiracy theory that "9/11 Really Was An Inside Job." Rev. Johnson's caption for the video says "Facts!!!"
In a post on his Facebook account in May, Rev. Johnson shared a video that displays the words "When a Man earns money he dreams of giving his family and his wife the best. But when a Woman earns money she feels She does not need her man and her family. Sounds harsh but it's reality." Rev. Johnson's caption for the post says "Sad Facts."
Pritzker said those kinds of comments showed it was time for Rev. Johnson to resign from the school board "in the best interest of our schools and our children."
"Any person charged with the stewardship of the Chicago Public School Board must exemplify focused, inclusive, and steady leadership. The views expressed in the current Chair's posts – antisemitism, misogyny, fringe conspiracy theories – very clearly do not meet that standard. We owe it to our students, families, and teachers to provide the highest quality education, and that begins at the top by setting a positive example of kindness and inclusivity," Pritzker said in a statement.
A letter signed by 40 of the city's 50 aldermen, and City Clerk Anna Valencia, also had urged Mayor Johnson to remove Rev. Johnson as head of the school board, calling Rev. Johnson's appointment "a terrible mistake."
"It's just seeming that the mayor is not taking the members of the city of Chicago into account. I can tell you that the Jewish community – not just in my ward, but throughout the city of Chicago – feels alienated. They feel that the city does not have their back," said Ald. Debra Silverstein (50th), the City Council's only Jewish member, who organized the letter to the mayor.
In a joint statement, the aldermen expressed concern that Rev. Johnson will not fairly represent all students, especially students in the Jewish community.
"His continued role on the school board is non-negotiable, both he and Mayor Johnson must act now to correct this terrible mistake," the letter states.
"I have a lot of concerns. I have a general concern on the legitimacy of this board. It's no secret that overnight, a full board of appointed school board directors resigned, and this is what we got. We got appointments that were not vetted at all. They're vetting after the fact. That is unprecedented when it comes to boards," Ald. Timmy Knudsen (43rd) said. "The fact that there are still posts coming out that are sexist, antisemitic, and 9/11 truther-related material, it's really frustrating."
The Israeli Consulate, the Anti-Defamation League, the American Jewish Committee Chicago, several school board candidates, and other groups have also written letters asking for Rev. Johnson to step down.
Mayor Johnson said a new person to replace Rev. Johnson on the school board will be chosen soon, and the board will meet as scheduled on Friday. School board vice president Mary Gardner likely will chair board meetings until a new president is chosen.
Rev. Johnson apologizes for "reactive and insensitive" remarks
Before his resignation, Rev. Johnson had sought to save his job by issuing an apology issued by the mayor's office:
"I want to take a moment to apologize to the Jewish community. 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. 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.
Throughout my career, I have worked hand in hand with the Jewish community in Chicago to fight antisemitism. Whether it was rooting out antisemitism directly at AEPI Alpha Epsilon Pi or fighting for investments in the far south side at Developing Communities Project (DCP), those experiencing injustice and discrimination have no greater friend than they have in me.
As board president, I am committed to making sure that antisemitism and hate of any kind have no place in Chicago Public Schools."
Just one day before Rev. Johnson's resignation, Mayor Johnson resisted calls to remove him from the school board, saying the reverend is "seeking atonement for his words that he has expressed."
"I know he's going to continue to work and sit down with Jewish leaders in the City of Chicago and beyond to begin to work towards restoration and healing," Johnson said. "These are not sentiments that I subscribe to, and I do appreciate Reverend Johnson being willing to be held accountable for statements that he has made that has caused harm."
Rev. Johnson's resignation is just the latest blow to Mayor Johnson's handling of the Chicago Public Schools and Chicago Board of Education.
Earlier this month, the entire school board he had appointed when he first took office resigned, amid a longstanding dispute between the mayor and CPS chief executive officer Pedro Martinez over CPS finances.
Mayor Johnson had urged Martinez and the board to take out a $300 million high-interest loan to pay for pensions and fund teacher raises being sought by the Chicago Teachers Union during contract talks.
Martinez has said Mayor Johnson – who himself once worked for CTU – asked him to resign when he and the board passed a budget without that loan.
The entire board later resigned, and Johnson replaced the entire board. The seven new members, including Rev. Johnson, were sworn in on Oct. 24.
After Rev. Johnson's resignation, the remaining six board members are set to hold their first board meeting on Friday.