Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson stands behind embattled Board of Education president
Rev. Mitchell Johnson authored numerous antisemitic, pro-Hamas social media posts since Oct. 7
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Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson declared his support for Rev. Mitchell Johnson on Wednesday, giving the embattled Board of Education president a lifeline as he faces calls from the City Council to resign over dozens of antisemitic and pro-Hamas Facebook posts authored in the past year.
“Reverend Johnson has been a strong faith leader throughout the state of Illinois and has expressed sorrow and is seeking atonement for the words that he has shared and that he’s expressed,” Mayor Johnson said, a message he repeated several times at a Wednesday afternoon press conference in Chicago.
“I know he has since come forth and has apologized for his comments and [how] harmful that they have been to the people of the Jewish community,” said Mayor Johnson. “I know he’s going to continue to work and sit down with Jewish leaders in the city of Chicago and beyond to begin to work towards restoration and healing.”
After the briefing, Mayor Johnson’s office shared with JI a statement that they said Rev. Johnson authored. In it, Rev. Johnson apologized for his “reactive and insensitive” remarks but pledged not to leave his position as president of the board.
“The remarks I posted were reactive and insensitive, and I am deeply sorry for not being more precise and deliberate in my comments posted last year. Since then, I have asked for and received feedback from my Jewish friends and colleagues, who helped me be more thoughtful in the way I address these sensitive matters,” Rev. Johnson said in the statement. It is not clear where he shared the statement or with whom.
In a post on X, the Anti-Defamation League’s Midwest regional office said the organization doesn’t “know anyone in the Jewish community who got a call and your refusal to call it antisemitism is deeply offensive.” Further, Rev. Johnson’s controversial statements did not end last year, as he claimed in the statement. Nor did he address the specifics of his writings. He did not respond to requests for comment from JI.
“Those experiencing injustice and discrimination have no greater friend than they have in me,” said Rev. Johnson. “As board president, I am committed to making sure that antisemitism and hate of any kind have no place in Chicago Public Schools.”
Asked whether the inflammatory posts have affected the mayor’s confidence in Rev. Johnson’s ability to lead the Board of Education, Mayor Johnson suggested he has not lost faith in Rev. Johnson or regretted picking him for the role.
“Anybody that’s willing to be accountable to harm that they’ve caused, and really begins to work towards restoration, repairing damage, that signals how serious he’s taken this moment,” said Mayor Johnson. “What I’m confident in is the ability of our collective communities to come together and not just be reflective of, but to work towards healing.”
Alderman Debra Silverstein, the lone Jewish member of the Chicago City Council, told JI earlier that she had not seen any apology from Rev. Johnson, nor had she heard anything directly from Mayor Johnson.
“I’m appalled, and I’m still wondering how he managed to get through the vetting process. That’s a question that I have for the mayor’s office,” Silverstein said. “I would really hope that [Mayor Johnson] asks him to resign. I don’t know if he will do that or not, but he definitely should.”
Updated at 7:38 p.m.