Calls are mounting for the resignation of the Scarsdale Board of Education president after his daughter posted photos of vandalized Israeli culture club flyers on social media, captioning them with the words “Keep up the good work.”
The flyers had been put up by students at Scarsdale High School to promote “IsraelFest,” an event marking Israel’s 78th Independence Day that featured Israeli food, music, and games. They were ripped down last week and dumped in a boys’ bathroom urinal.
The board president, James Dugan, addressed the situation in a letter to the community Friday, calling it “a profound teaching moment” for his family. He said he would focus on “healing my family” while pledging to remain committed to his board responsibilities.
Nearly 1,000 people had signed a petition demanding Dugan’s resignation by Tuesday, arguing his household’s connection to the incident compromises the board’s credibility. A counter-petition backing Dugan collected more than 100 signatures.
Principal Kenneth Bonamo confirmed the club had full administrative approval for the event and called the vandalism antisemitic. His office is reviewing security footage and interviewing students to identify those responsible. The student government’s Instagram post promoting the event also attracted vulgar responses, he said.
Bonamo noted that some community members had raised concerns about a map on the flyer that depicted Israel without marking the West Bank and Gaza. He acknowledged the map touches on a legitimate point of debate but said it did not justify the response.
Superintendent Drew Patrick warned that the episode threatens Scarsdale’s “collective sense of community” and said the district is finalizing written guidelines on student speech at school-sponsored events, to be presented at a May 11 board meeting.
Rep. George Latimer, a Democrat representing Westchester County, weighed in Monday, calling for full accountability and writing on X that students deserve to feel safe from antisemitic hostility in their schools.
The episode is part of a broader pattern in the area. Anti-Israel graffiti was sprayed on Scarsdale storefronts in 2024, a New York City student was arrested in February over an emailed threat to “kill all the Jews” at his school, and students at a Connecticut Catholic school were recently disciplined for antisemitic social media posts directed at a rival hockey team.
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