Decatur Schools employee scrutinized for allegedly wearing keffiyeh on Oct. 7 anniversary

“This is a personnel matter, and we are following protocols to address it,” a district spokesperson said.

According to NPR, a keffiyeh is a black and white scarf that has become synonymous with Palestinians. 

Eytan Davidson, southeast regional director of the Anti-Defamation League, called it a very “polarizing symbol” to wear on the anniversary of the anniversary of “the most deadly massacre of the Jewish people since the Holocaust.”

Davidson said the garment is one of the most prominent symbols of the pro-Palestinian movement, but it is now being used to imply support for Hamas, Hezbollah “and other terrorist forces who seek the destruction of the state of Israel.”

“Imagine a teacher wearing a Confederate flag to school on the anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination,” Davidson said. “It is that provocative and polarizing and triggering for Jews.”

Azka Mahmood, executive Director of the Georgia chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations, said it was “unsurprising” that parents reported Downer for wearing a keffiyeh on Oct. 7.

“There seems to be pervasive racism and denial of the existence of Palestine and Palestinian humanity in Decatur schools,” Mahmood said. “Oct. 7 also marks the beginning of the Palestinian genocide and people have the right to recognize and mourn the loss of civilian and innocent life everywhere. People who fear a keffiyeh should question their biases as to why a cultural symbol is implicitly regarded as dangerous and why one group’s pain is regarded as superior to others.”

Oct. 7 was the deadliest attack on Jews since the Holocaust, the American Jewish Committee website says.  The Israel-Hamas War has displaced about 2.3 million people, killed over 42,000 people and wounded thousands, according to the Associated Press. 

Jewish parents raised concerns about Downer’s attire on Oct. 7, seeking reassurance that their children will be safe at school and saying that wearing the keffiyeh doesn’t demonstrate inclusion.

The Oct. 7 terrorist attack by Hamas against Israelis and the deaths of civilians in response to that attack has been a divisive topic, particularly within education. This isn’t the first time Downer has been criticized for how he has expressed his views on the war while working as a City Schools of Decatur employee. 

CSD completed an investigation in December 2023 that found Downer violated district policies and procedures while he was equity coordinator by sending an email about Israel and Gaza to central office staff. The email included an attachment titled “Resources for Learning & Actions to Support Gaza” and says it was, “Compiled by a queer collective of Jews, Palestinians, and allies in Atlanta.”

The investigation also said Downer should be “released from his current position,” but he continued to work for the district. In his bio and LinkedIn, Downer describes himself as an “abolitionist educator-organizer.” He lists his title as “OneGoal Program Director, Equity Coordinator” at CSD.

A district spokesperson said his official title is “OneGoal Coach (Teacher General Education Classroom).” When asked of Downer was demoted after last year’s incident, the spokesperson declined further comment, saying it was a personnel matter.

Downer is also the founder of Liberation Learning, an organization whose mission is to “create Black spaces for connection, education and legacy.” 

During the Oct. 8 Decatur School Board meeting, a couple of parents commented publicly about the incident. Elissa Pichulik, the granddaughter of Holocaust survivors, was seeking reassurance that her kids would feel safe at school. 

“Right now, I’m very rattled and unsure,” Pichulik said. 

Pichulik and another speaker said that Oct. 7 was a day of mourning, and it sparked grief in the Jewish community. 

“Mr. Downer’s choice to wear this garment on this particular day was intentional,” Pichulik said. 

Since the incident is a personnel issue, School Board Chair James Herndon stopped Pichulik to ask for her comments in writing and asked her not to make her comments about a specific person. 

“Can I discuss it without his name,” Pichulik asked. 

“You can discuss the situation, for sure,” Herndon said. 

“At best, for an individual to wear something like this, it was a poor choice,” Pichulik continued. “At worst, I believe this is antisemitism with an intent to incite hate toward and fear within the Jewish student body.”

She added that her middle school student would not have felt safe if he had seen a teacher wearing a keffiyeh on Oct. 7. 

“Our school system needs to reflect core values of empathy and a sense of belonging for everyone,” Pichulik told Decaturish.

Lauren Wattenmaker had written a letter to Superintendent Dr. Gyimah Whitaker and copied the school board. She made a public comment as well on Oct. 8. Wattenmaker added that context matters.

“[Oct. 7] was a day of mourning for Jews around the world,” Wattenmaker said. “The complete lack of respect and empathy by the equity staff member is appalling, and in no way does it perpetuate this ‘All in Decatur’ mantra that we hear continuously.”

She urged the school board to take swift action regarding the matter.

“This is an individual who was hired with our tax dollars to promote inclusion in our schools,” Wattenmaker said. “I would expect better judgment from someone in this position. The ramifications to our student’s psychological safety are significant.”

This story was provided by WABE content partner Decaturish.