Jewish parents at a Portland elementary school are expressing outrage after an anti-Israel display at a multicultural event earlier this month.

According to the Washington Examiner, during what was meant to be a celebration of student heritage through food, music, and activities at Findley Elementary’s International Extravaganza on April 10, parents instead discovered a student booth featuring graphic images of Arabs in body bags, disputed Gaza casualty statistics, and a historically disputed map of “Palestine.”

After severe backlash from Jewish parents, the Beaverton School District announced on Friday that its Equity Advisory Committee would develop guidelines “that allow for the celebration of culture without the potential for harm to another culture.” Additionally, Principal Sherry Marsh apologized for the incident and acknowledged a simar display had appeared at last year’s event as well.

“Throughout this year, I have spoken with many of you about your fear and worry that it would happen again,” Marsh wrote in an email. “You have provided suggestions and thoughts on how it could be avoided. Although I felt I had done enough to ensure it wouldn’t happen again, I fell short.”

“I know that an apology doesn’t fix, or change what happened, or mitigate any of the lasting impact you might be feeling, but please know I know we need to do better. I am so sorry I let you down.”

Marsh also said she would attend a faculty event next month featuring speakers from both the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland and the Islamic community. However, Jewish parents remain deeply dissatisfied with the principal’s response.

“She blatantly stood in front of it, supportive of it, that the community, the children, should be seeing this material,” one parent tells the Washington Examiner. “This is a kids’ event. These are her elementary school children, and she thinks that this is appropriate for them to be exposed to it?”

Meanwhile, the district’s faculty union is separately hosting an optional “Teaching Palestine” event through Rethinking Schools, though organizers emphasize it is not a school-sponsored activity.

Photo Credit: StopAntisemitism/X