Schools Close In Bridgeview, Hickory Hills Due To Anti-Arab Threats

BRIDGEVIEW-HICKORY HILLS, IL — Two schools in Bridgeview and Hickory Hills are closed Friday after they received anti-Arab and anti-Palestinian due to escalating tensions in the Middle East.

The Easter Seals Head Start program in Hickory Hills that serves a large number of Palestinian American families was closed Thursday and Friday. Families of children that attend the preschool expressed fears of threatening messages they received because of their Islamic faith.

A spokesperson for Easterseals Serving Chicago and Greater Rockford told Patch that some parents said they were afraid to leave their homes to pick up and/or drop off their children at the Hickory Hills site.

“Our hearts are heavy in solidarity with any individual affected by these hateful communications or any other,” Easterseals said in a statement. “Out of an abundance of caution, to ensure the safety of the families we serve, and to take time to digest, reflect, and assess, we decided to close the site for the remainder of the week. We will continue to assess the situation and hope to reopen our site next week if we can do so in a way that ensures the safety of all. Our hearts go out to all of our families—of all faiths—who every day, lovingly and harmoniously, entrust their children to our care."

Deputy Chief Adam Gulcynski, of the Hickory Hills Police Department, said his agency has been in touch with police in Bridgeview and Palos Hills, which have large Arab American communities. He said he was aware of a handwritten threat that was being shared on social media.

“A couple of [Head Start] parents contacted us,” Gulcynski said. “People are spreading situational awareness.”

Extra patrols are being placed around schools and police are monitoring social media, Gulcynski said. The Head Start program is expected to reopen on Monday.

In Bridgeview, the all-girl Islamic Aqsa School spent Thursday on soft-lockdown after the school received a “very violent” letter that applauded the murder of a young Plainfield Township boy last weekend reportedly because he was Palestinian American. The letter also made threats against Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, who attended funeral services for 6-year-old Wadea Al-Fayoume.

“The letter was received (Thursday) from an anonymous person who made religious anti-Arab and anti-Muslim threats,” Bridgeview police spokesman Ray Hanania said in an email. “We notified Chicago police and the FBI.”

The all-girl Islamic school went on e-learning Friday out of an abundance of caution. Aqsa principal Tammie Ismail told CBS News Chicago rhetoric used in the letter echoed that of some media outlets dehumanizing Muslims and Palestinians.

The school is taking it day by day before returning to in-person learning and has brought in mental health professionals to talk with students.

"It's incredibly difficult as an educator to see your students traumatized by seeing the inhumanity. Our children at our school – we want them to be proud of who they are, Muslim and Palestinian, and not feel like being [Palestinian and Muslim] is a reason for people to attack them," Ismail told CBS. "They need to feel safe. You cannot learn without safety and security."