The Arab Student Union reached a settlement agreement with DCPS last month after nearly two years of conflict over the screening of a controversial Pro-Palestine documentary.
The conflict began in April 2024 when the ASU was prevented by JR administrators from showing the documentary, The Occupation of the American Mind, and the Palestinian culture night was postponed.
The ASU, represented by the American Civil Liberties Union, sued Principal Sah Brown and the District for alleged violation of the students’ First Amendment rights.
In May 2024, The DC Attorney General’s office reached an “interim agreement,” with the ASU that allowed the ASU to show one of three alternative films: The Wanted 18, Farha, or 5 Broken Cameras. In addition, the ASU distributed an educational Palestinian culture brochure with some changes.
In response to alleged targeting of the ASU specifically, the administration reaffirmed commitments to equally apply all regulations across student groups.
This clarity manifested in a new iteration of the DCPS-issued Student Organization and Clubs Guidance document, which addressed the new terms and conditions of hosting a club at a DC Public School.
One stipulation regards the rules around events and organized media. It states that “a school must not deny events, materials, or other media based on the contents of the student organization’s proposed expression or message.”
However, the new rules include a note that DCPS schools “may deny the request if there is evidence that the organization’s communications will cause a material and substantial disruption in school operations.” The guidelines have officially been implemented for the 2025-26 school year.
Without admitting liability, the District agreed to pay the ASU $95,000 to cover attorney fees and other costs.
In response, ACLU-DC and ASU agreed to “fully and unconditionally release, forgive, and discharge Defendant Sah Brown and the District” so that no one else can sue the school or district for anything related to this.
“These guideline changes are a win for public education and free expression in the District of Columbia,” Arthur Spitzer, senior counsel at ACLU-D.C. and lead attorney in the case, said in a statement. “Public school administrators are charged with facilitating student education, not censoring ideas they don’t agree with.”
An anonymous representative of the ASU said in the ACLU statement: “We can’t learn through silence. I am proud that we fought for our rights and that student clubs across D.C. public schools can now express their views without the fear of being censored by powerful adults.”
Brown told The Beacon that “there really aren’t any winners or losers in the settlement” as “it’s about our school community finding common ground.” Brown said the outcomes of this case reflect the findings of Supreme Court cases Tinker and Hazelwood.
Brown said he was “pleased that we were to help to shape DCPS policies going forward,” as Jackson-Reed, among other schools, was asked to provide feedback about new club guidelines.
Now the ASU is planning for another year of uplifting and spotlighting Arab culture. At its first interest meeting last month, the group discussed potential activities for the year, including field trips and guest speakers, as well as preliminary plans for Arab Culture Night in the Spring.
The Union will continue to meet as usual and intends to focus on representing the diversity and the beauty of Arab culture throughout the school year. •