Officials from Glenbrook South and Glenbrook High School District 225 in Illinois have denounced a student entry in the 2023-2024 yearbook that appears to praise the October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel. The entry, titled “October 7 War in Gaza,” quotes a student as saying, “The first day, I woke up and I saw what Palestine did, and I was happy because they’re finally defending themselves.” The student also refers to the area as their “home country.”

District officials expressed their “profound regret” over the entry in a letter to students and families, stating, “The statements in the piece in no way represent the views of Glenbrook South or District 225.” The letter acknowledged the district has received a “tremendous number of inquiries and feedback” on the topic and assured that they are in conversation with students, families, staff, and community members about the situation.

However, the Student Press Law Center, a Washington, D.C.-based organization, despicably defended the entry, arguing that it protects the yearbook’s editorial decisions under the Illinois’ Speech Rights of Student Journalists Act.

The district says it has launched an internal investigation into the matter and will continue until a resolution is reached.

In a separate incident at another Illinois high school, officials confiscated all student yearbooks after a student or students signed them with swastikas.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)