The Chicago Board of Education meets after President Rev. Mitchell Johnson resigns over controversial posts

CHICAGO (WLS) – The Chicago Board of Education will meet Friday, just a day after its newly appointed president resigned.

Six board members appointed by the mayor will meet Friday morning for their first official meeting without the Rev. Mitchell Johnson.

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Rev. Johnson resigned Thursday after a Jewish publication published dozens of his controversial Facebook posts about women, 9/11 conspiracy theories and views on Israel.

Jewish mothers of Chicago Public Schools students are relieved he is no longer at the helm of the Chicago Board of Education.

“My children in the Chicago Public Schools are visibly Orthodox, and I have to tell you, when I heard that our mayor was going to appoint someone to such a position, I had a deep reaction within me,” says Estie Spero, a Jewish mother of students at the Chicago Public Schools Chicago Public Schools.

Gov. JB Pritzker and more than 40 of Chicago's 50 city council members also shared the same reaction after seeing the anti-Semitic remarks.

Now some are questioning Mayor Brandon Johnson's vetting process for his newly appointed school board.

“How have they been vetted and do we need to dig deeper into their background and make sure they are qualified to care for children?” 50th District Ald. said Debra Silverstein, the only Jewish member of the Chicago City Council.

So far, the new school board members have declined the City Council's request to appear in the boardroom and answer questions.

Mayor Brandon Johnson said he will work immediately to find a new board president as it meets for its first regular meeting Friday morning.

A week after being sworn in, the Chicago school board president resigned Thursday over controversial social media posts.

Now-former Chicago Board of Education President Rev. Mitchell Johnson apologized for the posts on Wednesday, but more troubling information emerged on Thursday, leading to further calls for him to resign.

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9/11 conspiracy theories and misogynistic posts were enough for Mayor Brandon Johnson to call for Rev. Johnson's resignation. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and nearly 40 city council members also called for Rev. Johnson's resignation, with many questioning why the mayor appointed him in the first place.

The Chicago City Council members wanted to know how Rev. Johnson was selected to elect Mayor Johnson as President of the Chicago Board of Education.

“I always want to be sure that the review process is important to all of us,” said 25th District Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez said.

“I think a normal person would think that a simple search on social media would have revealed this and automatically disqualified him,” said 11th Ward Ald. Nicole Lee said.

“How have they been vetted and do we need to dig deeper into their background and make sure they are qualified to care for children?” said 50th District Ald. Debra Silverstein, the only Jewish member of the Chicago City Council.

Rev. Johnson openly admitted in a radio broadcast posted on his Facebook page that he regularly uses social media. Several of his posts discussed anti-Israel sentiment and conspiracy theories surrounding 9/11, both topics he discussed on the radio show.

“I believe that the Israeli government is complicit in genocide,” Rev. Johnson is heard saying on the show.

“The way these towers were built, they could have withstood a plane crashing into them sideways,” he also said.

A misogynistic post was also discovered.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson released the following statement on Thursday:

“Today I asked Chicago School Board of Education (BOE) President Reverend Mitchell Johnson to resign, and he has resigned, effective immediately. Reverend Mitchell Johnson's comments were not only hurtful, but deeply disturbing. I want to be clear: anti-Semitic, misogynistic, and conspiratorial statements are unacceptable. It is clear that his continued involvement with the BOE would hinder the important work we must do for our schools to find a qualified individual who shares our commitment to educational excellence and has an unwavering commitment to the values ​​that guide us are close to heart. I remain steadfast in my commitment to working with all stakeholders to ensure that every child in Chicago has access to the quality education that protecting and empowering students in Chicago Public Schools remains our North Star. Friday’s Board of Education meeting will take place as scheduled under current BOE bylaws.”

Rev. Johnson's questionable background didn't come to light overnight. A day after he took the oath as president of the Chicago School Board last week, the mayor stood by his side as questions arose about why Rev. Johnson was permanently barred from the Ohio Bar Association. Previously, 41 elders had asked the new board to appear before the council, but it was rejected.

“I certainly think that if we had had the opportunity to have them in front of us, we could have asked some of these questions before they were installed as full board members,” Ald. Lee said.

As more of Rev. Johnson's opinions on women and Jews came to light, more city leaders and parents responded Thursday night, questioning why Johnson gave him the job in the first place.

“I would definitely be concerned about the safety of my children and the safety of all Jewish children in the system,” said Yehudis Goldfarb, a Jewish mother of Chicago Public Schools students.

Jewish mothers of Chicago public school students are relieved. Rev. Johnson is no longer at the helm of the Chicago Board of Education.

“My children in the Chicago Public Schools are visibly Orthodox, and I have to tell you, when I heard that our mayor was going to appoint someone to such a position, I had a deep reaction within me,” says Estie Spero, a Jewish mother of students at the Chicago Public Schools Chicago Public Schools.

Late Thursday afternoon, at a Chicago Police Department press conference, Mayor Johnson confirmed his sudden about-face from his hand-picked school president and announced hate crime charges in connection with the recent shooting of a Jewish man on the North Side.

“Reverend Johnson, I spoke to him, asked him to resign, and he did,” Mayor Johnson said.

Rev. Johnson apologized extensively to the Jewish community on Wednesday evening.

Some city leaders, including the city's only Jewish councilwoman, Debra Silverstein of the 50th Ward, are questioning Mayor Johnson's vetting process for his newly appointed school board.

“How have they been vetted and do we need to dig deeper into their background and make sure they are qualified to care for children?” Ald. Silverstein said.

So far, the new school board members have refused the city council's request to appear in the meeting rooms and answer questions.

The board meets for its regular meeting on Friday

Governor Pritzker released the following statement on Thursday:

“Every person charged with leading the Chicago Public School Board must embody purposeful, inclusive and consistent leadership. The views expressed in the current leader's offices – anti-Semitism, misogyny, fringe conspiracy theories – clearly do not meet this standard. We owe it.” It's up to our students, families and teachers to provide the highest quality education, and that starts at the top by setting a positive example of kindness and inclusivity. It's in the best interest of our schools and our children that the chairman resigns.”

Rev. Johnson's resignation comes after the entire previous Board of Education resigned because Mayor Johnson reportedly wanted to oust Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez.

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