Susan Greenberg is second Beaverton school board member to come under fire in recent weeks regarding Israel-Palestine war

Another Beaverton school board member is under scrutiny, this time following an opinion piece outlining her claims of “divisive” viewpoints allegedly shared by the local education union on the Israel-Palestine war.

The Beaverton school board received several complaints regarding outgoing board member Susan Greenberg’s letter to the editor published May 8 in The Times newspaper. A main focus of the complaints submitted May 27-29 was Greenberg’s allegation that a recent union training “proposed to teach kids how to pray in a Muslim faith tradition.”

“Susan Greenberg is engaging in extremely dangerous fearmongering and causing division in our community,” one of the seven anonymous complaints to the district said. “Her lies put Jewish, Muslim and Palestinian students/families/staff all at risk.” 

“(The letter) unfairly targeted Palestinian and Muslim people and beliefs,” another anonymous complainant wrote. “Her actions have directly led to harm and contributed to the already large issue of Islamophobia and Muslim people not feeling welcome in our district.” 

Greenberg joins school board member Tammy Carpenter on the list of those under fire in recent weeks regarding speaking on the topic of Palestine. Carpenter was set to be investigated after a school board vote on her pro-Palestine social media presence.

Greenberg’s letter speaks to April education union workshop on ‘Teaching Palestine’

Her focus in her opinion letter, in part, was on an April workshop sponsored by the Beaverton Education Association, a workshop that while not district sponsored, was supported by the teachers union. 

In the letter, Greenberg, who will be finishing up her 12-year term on June 30, alleged that the Beaverton Education Association “has increasingly overstepped its proper role by attempting to inject divisive, one-sided political viewpoints into our curriculum.”  

“In my three terms on the school board we have been fortunate to deliberate, debate and vote in a professional manner filled with mutual respect,” she said in the letter. “As of late, I’ve seen bad actors try hard to end that. I’ve seen Jewish leaders ostracized from community conversation and heard from worried parents about their Jewish students feeling excluded at schools that pride themselves on cultures of inclusion.

As reported by KOIN 6 News — a news partner of this publication —“Teaching Palestine: Lessons, Stories, Voices” workshop was meant to offer “a defense of Palestinian humanity centering Palestinian lives, uplifting and celebrating Palestinians’ struggle for justice and critiquing racism and inequality.” 

Greenberg went on in the letter to call for Beaverton residents to reject the school board candidates in the May 20 election who were backed by the BEA.

“When the union leverages its considerable power and influence to circumvent the district curriculum process, it undermines the district’s credibility in the classroom and the foundation of democratic board-led educational governance,” she said in the letter.

Greenberg says focus ‘should be on our kids’

Greenberg on June 10 said she would not directly comment on the letter because of an upcoming executive session that will address complaints. A school board executive session is scheduled for 5 p.m. Thursday, June 12.

“The only thing I’m going to say is I think that the focus needs to be on our kids. There is a lot to be concerned about in our own country in terms of the Department of Education … Medicaid cuts and what the impact will be on students.” 

Greenberg continued, “That’s what we need to be focused on and I think the school board will be focused on that. I’m proud of my 12 years on the school board.”

Greenberg second board member to recently come under scrutiny

Greenberg finds herself in a similar position to that of fellow board member Tammy Carpenter. Following a recent 5-2 vote by the school board, Carpenter became the subject of a third-party investigation. 

Carpenter came under fire in middle to late May for a number of social media posts calling for a ceasefire in the Middle East and for Israel to “stop the genocide.” Carpenter’s Instagram, where these posts were made, lists her as a member of the Beaverton school board, but states the views expressed are her own. 

School board Chair Karen Perez-Da Silva said the review will be conducted by an investigator from Portland-based law firm Miller Nash and that, under Oregon law, the district has 90 calendar days to respond to complaints. A response to the complaints is expected no later than Aug. 14.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to add information on the third-party investigation into Tammy Carpenter.