Safety threats have forced Beverly Hills school officials to abandon plans for displaying Israeli flags following intense public pressure and safety concerns for students and staff.
Superintendent Alex Cherniss shocked his own board members by reversing their 3-2 decision within 24 hours, announcing Thursday that only American and California flags would fly on district campuses.
“In light of heightened safety concerns around the displaying of flags on our campuses, I have made the decision to take immediate action for the safety and security of our students,” Cherniss wrote to the district community.
His emergency intervention came after Tuesday night’s contentious board meeting, where members approved displaying Israeli flags during May, designated as Jewish Heritage Month, alongside Holocaust education programs and recognition of the October 7 Hamas attack.
Board member Russell Stuart had defended the measure as community support, not political endorsement.
“The display of a flag during Jewish American Heritage Month is not a direct endorsement of the Israeli government,” Stuart explained during the heated session. “It is support for our Jewish students and the Jewish community.”
Beverly Hills Vice Mayor John Mirisch backed the proposal, telling the packed meeting room: “This should be a no-brainer for a school district that represents one of the only Jewish-majority communities outside of Israel.”
But cracks appeared immediately. Board President Rachelle Marcus voted no, warning that flag displays could make schools targets for violence. Fellow board member Amanda Stern also opposed what she called “partisan material” in public schools, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Making matters worse, district officials reported facing a “volume of public attention, international media coverage, and ongoing threats against district staff and students” following the initial vote.
Using emergency powers reserved for immediate safety threats, Cherniss cited board policy allowing superintendents to act “to avoid any risk to the safety or security of students, staff, or district property.”
Board members quickly moved to make Cherniss’s emergency decision permanent. At a special Friday meeting, they approved new policy language establishing “a consistent and neutral standard for the flying and display of flags across all district properties.”
Going forward, only U.S., California, and individual school flags will be permitted on campus grounds.
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