The newly appointed president of Chicago steps down after social media platforms disclosed multiple controversial posts that local leaders and state describe as conspiratorial, antisemitic and sexist.
The new president of the Chicago Board of Education, Rev. Mitchell Johnson, was sworn in just last week and resigned effectively on Thursday upon request by Mayor Brandon Johnson. Rev Mitchell is among the seven new board members appointed by the Major following the en masse resignation of the previous board.
Reports from the Jewish Insider and Chicago Sun-Times disclosed early this week that Mitchell Johnson has made multiple private and public social media posts that are deemed misogynistic and antisemitic. The media stations reported that Mitchell often makes anti-Israel and pro-Hamas posts, which Jewish Insider describes as “inflammatory.”
NBC 5 Chicago political reporter Mary Ann Ahern shared an image posted by Mitchell Johnson: “When a man earns money, he dreams of giving his family and wife the best. But when a woman earns money, she feels she does not need her man and her family. Sounds harsh, but it’s reality.” The post was captioned “Sad Facts.”
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In January, Mitchell Johnson reposted a controversial 9/11 conspiracy theory photo which states, “3,000 experts agree: 9/11 really was an inside job” and captioned as “Facts!!”
Mitchell Johnson’s surrender is the latest development of the Chicago school board’s leadership crisis. The mayor has been under strong scrutiny following the resignation of the latest board chair.
According to WBEZ Chicago, the previous board stepped down on issues with the mayor and Pedro Martinez, CEO of Chicago Public Schools. The board members were appointed on October 24, but unfortunately, Mitchell Johnson stepped down just after a week.
On Thursday, the mayor stated that the remaining six board members will proceed to meet on Friday as scheduled, and a new person will be appointed as Mitchell’s replacement.
Following the exposure of Mitchell Johnson’s social media posts, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and several other city leaders demanded that Mitchell Johnson step down.
The governor said it was “in the best interest of our schools and our children.”
Pritzker stated: “Any person charged with the stewardship of the Chicago Public School Board must exemplify focused, inclusive, and steady leadership. The views expressed in the current Chair’s posts – antisemitism, misogyny, fringe conspiracy theories – very clearly do not meet that standard.” “We owe it to our students, families, and teachers to provide the highest quality education, and that begins at the top by setting a positive example of kindness and inclusivity.”
Pritzker’s comments followed a letter signed by 40 of the city’s 50 alderperson leaders calling on the mayor to remove the newly appointed board chair. The alderperson called the new board chair’s appointment as “a terrible mistake” and blasted the mayor for not thoroughly vetting school board appointees.
The letter stated: “Rev. Johnson took his disdain for Jews even further, holding American Jews responsible for the actions of a military halfway across the world” “In December, he wrote: ‘My Jewish colleagues appear drunk with the Israeli power and will live to see their payment.”
