Bloomfield Hills High School releases apology for the content of recent diversity assembly

BLOOMFIELD HILLS — Bloomfield Hills High School recently released an apology in regard to Palestinian American attorney and activist Huwaida Arraf’s speech during a diversity assembly for all BHHS students.

Following Arraf’s speech March 14, students and other members of the school community spoke out about what they said was the inappropriate nature of the content she shared with students during the assembly.

Sam Dubin, the director of media relations for the Jewish Community Relations Council, said it was a problematic choice to bring her in as a speaker at the high school.

“Ms. Arraf is a known anti-Israel activist. She’s had a deep history of defending Palestinian terrorists, of real horrific anti-Israel comments in the past, so just the fact that she was asked to speak initially, is problematic to say the least.”

The apology letter from Assistant Superintendent Pat Watson was the second letter from Bloomfield Hills Schools addressing the issue, the first being sent out on the day of the assembly from Principal Lawrence Stroughter.

Dubin said that they thought the second letter sent out by the school was much better in their eyes, since it was acknowledging as well as apologizing for their mistake.

“The school has apologized, they sent out a letter that day, acknowledging the situation, but really not mentioning anything specifically. And then they sent a letter on Thursday, which was much better in our eyes, not only acknowledging  but also apologizing, saying that they made a mistake and really owning that mistake,” Dubin said.

“We are really looking forward to the future now,” Dubin said. “We have felt from the beginning that this situation, as unfortunate as it is, could be a real teachable moment for the administration (and) for the kids involved.”

Arraf was one of the five speakers that administrators spoke with to discuss the assembly’s intent. She was included in four assemblies throughout the day at BHHS.

According to the letter from Watson to Bloomfield Hills Schools students, staff and community, “The prompt was to address an oppression or discrimination they have faced and what could the people around you have done to make this better?”

During the assembly, Arraf reportedly spoke on the conflict in the Middle East involving Palestinians and Israelis. Watson’s letter states that a situation of this complexity should have been eliminated as a potential topic for discussion prior to the assembly.

Arraf said that the prompts were suggestions, and she said that she was not the only speaker to deviate from the prompt.

“I spoke in generalities about deciding to learn more about why my parents came to this country. I went over there, saw the situation on the ground and tried to be effective, co-founded this organization and worked with people from all over the world to fight, using nonviolent resistance, to resist the Israeli policies that were severely oppressing Palestinians. That was like the generality which I spoke in,” Arraf said.

In one of the assemblies, she said she spoke in a little bit more detail about Gaza. Arraf was the chair of the Free Gaza Movement, a multinational group to confront and challenge Israel’s blockade on Gaza.

“Because I specifically am not locked in Gaza, because I have an American passport and I can leave. That doesn’t mean that it is not part of my experience, again, campaigning for Palestinian human rights. And the only reason that I am not subjected to the severity of the oppression of most of the Palestinians I’m talking about is because I have an American passport,” Arraf said.

Arraf said she was not surprised by the comments made by the JCRC or the AJC but she said it was unacceptable for the school to apologize for her presentation.

“So for those organizations to do that didn’t surprise me, but for the school to apologize for having a person of Palestinian descent speak about lived experiences and the work that she’s done with Palestinians struggling for their human rights to survive to be treated as human beings — for the schools to apologize for that is unacceptable. And I don’t think that anyone, neither myself or anyone that cares about Palestinian human rights or human rights in general, should sit silent and let that pass,” Arraf said. “You cannot speak bad about what Israel is doing, or they will label you an anti-Semite.”

Watson includes in his statement that as the adults responsible for the student body, they have failed to appropriately demonstrate how to highlight diversity in a positive way and address sensitive topics.

He also states in the letter that they regret that their process created division in the school and outlines corrective measures going forward.

Bloomfield Hills declined the Eagle’s request for an interview.

Other groups spoke out about BHS’s decision to invite Arraf to speak prior to their second apology letter to the community.

On March 16, the Oakland County Republican Party released a press release condemning Bloomfield Hills High School’s decision to host an anti-Israel speaker at the school assembly.

In an interview with the Eagle on March 20, OCRP Chairman Vance Patrick commented on BHS’s apology statement. 

“I am glad they realized their mistake and have publicly acknowledged it and let’s move and avoid this situation in the future,” Patrick said.

Jewish Voice for Peace-Detroit later launched a petition drive in support of Aaraf.

According to a press release, Sara Habbo, the president of the Detroit and Michigan National Lawyers Guild, stated in a letter she wrote on behalf of her organization to Watson, “False claims of anti-Semitism have been leveled against Huwaida Arraf, a tactic often used to silence and discredit those who speak out against injustice. It is important to recognize that criticism of the policies of the Israeli government does not equate to hatred towards Jewish people.”  

The district’s full statement from BHS can be found at bloomfield.org.