Nipher Middle School social studies teacher displays Palestinian flag in classroom; refuses to display Israeli flag

On August 20, 2024, the newspaper St. Louis Jewish Light reported that a Palestinian flag is displayed in an eighth-grade social studies classroom at Nipher Middle School of the Kirkwood School District. Parents discovered the flag when the teacher of this class was giving a presentation. A parent confronted the teacher and asked “if he would consider also displaying an Israeli flag alongside the Palestinian flag in his classroom, explaining that having both flags reflects our family’s support for a two-state solution and would avoid disruption for his Jewish students.” The teacher then “crossed his arms and said ‘No.'”

When the parent explained that she and her daughter were descendants of Holocaust survivors, the teacher told her “that’s your version of history.” The principal reportedly told the parent that a “proposed resolution was for us to participate in a ‘restorative circle’ to ensure we felt heard.” The parent turned down the offer to participate in a “restorative circle.” Her child was pulled out of the class and put into another.