There must be zero tolerance for a Jersey City school board member who called Jews ‘organ sellers’ and demanded that people explore the ‘message’ behind the deadly anti-Semitic attack at a kosher market.
Only days after two shooters stormed into a kosher supermarket in Jersey City and murdered in cold blood three innocent victims, in addition to a veteran detective they killed at a cemetery earlier in the day, a Jersey City Board of Education (JCBOE) trustee named Joan Terrell-Paige posted a vicious anti-Semitic screed on Facebook in what appeared to be an attempt to justify the horrific attack.
Terrell-Paige posted her comments in response to an article about community members uniting in the face of hate.
Among other statements, the Jersey City woman accused Jewish “brutes” of “selling body parts” and unfairly buying up property, concluding that the community should ask, “What is the message [the killers] were sending?”
Terrell-Paige added, “Are we brave enough to explore the answer to their message?”, implying that somehow the shooting was justified.
Joan Terrell is an elected member of the Jersey City Board of Education, she says that the murders of the Jews in Jersey City may be justified. @jcps_district pic.twitter.com/H5o0yqpcnO
— Reagan Battalion (@ReaganBattalion) December 17, 2019
In response, Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop tweeted on Tuesday: “My opinion is she should resign. That type of language has no place in our schools and no place amongst elected officials. Imagine she said this about any other community — what would the reaction be? The same standard should apply here.”
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy also called for Terrell-Paige’s resignation on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, former Jersey City School Board President Sudhan Thomas issued a statement to NJ.com stating: “Trustee Paige’s comments do not reflect the JCBOE outlook or value system. The JCBOE is home to 30,000 students and 6,000 employees from various ethnicities, religions, cultures and sexual orientation. There is no room for any kind of hate or bigotry in Jersey City.”
Anti-Defamation League New York and New Jersey Regional Director Evan Bernstein condemned Terrell-Paige’s comments as “deeply anti-Semitic and highly offensive to the victims [of the Jersey City shooting],” reported JNS.
Terrell-Paige reportedly told Politico that she did not remove her Facebook comment and does not regret expressing those sentiments.
Terrell-Paige’s comments represent a clear violation of Jersey City Board of Education Bylaws § 9271 (Code of Ethics) subsections B and E, which require her to uphold the following pledge:
“(B) I will make decisions in terms of the educational welfare of children and will seek to develop and maintain public schools which meet the individual needs of all children regardless of their ability, race, creed, sex or social standing;
“(E) I will refrain from inappropriate conduct in public meetings and in making public statements, refraining from any disparagement of my fellow board members or others on a personal, social, racial or religious basis.”
Tell the Jersey City Board of Education that there is no place for Jew-hatred, incitement to violence and outlandish anti-Semitic conspiracies. Promoting this poison cannot be tolerated under any circumstances!
Jersey City Board of Education must fire Joan Terrell-Paige and demand a public apology!
1. Contact the Jersey City Board of Education directly by clicking here.
2. Send the Jersey City Board of Education a message via Facebook.
3. Send the Jersey City Board of Education a message via Twitter.