School Committee Adopts Protect Act, 9-0
Newton School Committee adopted new limits on immigration enforcement in schools and heard sustained public pushback over a controversial teacher hire.
School Committee · Meeting of September 14, 2026
Newton School Committee adopted new limits on immigration enforcement in schools and heard sustained public pushback over a controversial teacher hire. The board voted 9-0 to approve a "Protect Act" policy, required after the governor signed the underlying law Aug. 5, restricting civil immigration arrests on school property without a judicial warrant. Five public commenters, including Sagit Saeed Atia of the New England Israeli-American Council and Brookline resident Lisa Schatz, raised concerns about a newly hired Brown Middle School history teacher's academic writing on Israel and Gaza.
Superintendent Dr. Anna Nolan reported the district missed its $2.5 million budget carryover target by $1.1 million. The committee also voted 9-0 to nominate member Victor Lee for a state schools conference and tabled the 2026-27 school calendar for further review.
In the full story:
- Who Was There
- Organizations And Documents Referenced
- The complete report — 3,944 words
Source: the School Committee meeting of September 14, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
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