MARBLEHEAD — Following Hanukkah celebrations Thursday night, the Marblehead School Committee heard testimony from longtime Marblehead educator Brigette Karns, who waived her right to discuss the antisemitism allegations in executive session, allowing a grievance hearing to proceed in open session.
The emotional testimony alleged antisemitism and retaliation by Marblehead Public Schools after Karns spoke publicly about anti-Jewish bias in the district.
Karns, an English teacher at Marblehead Veterans Middle School with more than 24 years in the district, was represented by attorney Yael Magen. Addressing the Committee, Karns said she believed the district’s decision to split her lead teacher position was directly tied to her public remarks at the ICAN Summit in June 2024, where she discussed antisemitism in K-12 schools.
“I have been the lead English teacher since the position was established in 2008,” Karns said. “My performance in that position and as a teacher has been exemplary. There has never been any criticism of my work.”
Karns explained that for 16 consecutive years she served as the sole lead English teacher, consistent with long-standing district practice.
“Once hired, individuals typically retained their positions year after year,” she said. “This demonstrated a norm of continuity unless a teacher retired, left the district, or voluntarily stepped down.”
That pattern changed, Karns said, shortly after she spoke out publicly.
“I believe that I have been discriminated against because I am Jewish and because I am a Zionist,” she told the Committee. “I also believe that I have been retaliated against because I spoke out about antisemitism.”
According to Karns, approximately one month after her ICAN presentation went public, the district split the lead English teacher position, something she said had never happened before in her department. The move cut her stipend in half, affecting not only her current salary but her long-term retirement benefits.
“From an economic standpoint, this not only affects my current salary,” she said, “but it also affects my retirement. They take the top three years of your salary. This will impact me for the rest of my life.”
Karns described raising concerns internally before going public, saying those efforts were ignored.
“I worked hard to go through the proper channels,” she said. “But I was dismissed each time.”
Magen argued that the timing of the decision was impossible to ignore.
“Is it a coincidence?” Magen asked the Committee. “The timing looks very, very strange.”
Magen emphasized that Karns’s position was the only one split following her public remarks: “One month after she publicly talked about antisemitism, her position was cut by 50%.”
Magen described the impact as professional, financial, and social.
“Professionally, you took away one of the hats she wore with pride,” she said. “Financially, she lost her stipend. Socially, she became a persona non grata.”
Karns echoed those claims, telling the Committee that her work environment had changed dramatically.
“Nobody talks to me at work,” she said. “I stay in my room. I avoid common areas. It’s very uncomfortable.”
She added that students noticed the shift.
“Students were asking, ‘What happened to Ms. Karns?’” Magen said, recounting reports from parents and students.
The hearing occurred during Hanukkah, a point Magen referenced repeatedly as she connected Karns’s grievance to a broader climate of rising antisemitism.
“This Hanukkah, Jewish people were attacked in Australia, New York, and California,” she said. “We go into this holiday not just with light and joy, but with fear.”
She added, “Your Jewish students and teachers are afraid. What are you going to do when you have the power to act?”
Superintendent John Robidoux said that previous grievance reviews did not find compelling evidence that the split was motivated by antisemitism or retaliation.
Committee Chair Al Williams acknowledged the seriousness of the claims but said more time was needed to review the matter.
“We have a responsibility to respond within 21 calendar days,” he said.
Magen concluded by urging the Committee to reverse the decision and reinstate Karns as the sole lead teacher.
“We are asking you to do one of the hardest things a human being can do,” she said. “Admit that a mistake happened, and correct it.”
Magen added, “This is not just about one teacher’s job. Your decision will determine whether Jewish teachers and students feel safe in this district.”
The Committee did not take action on Thursday night. The grievance remains under review.
