![Board members convene during an October meeting. "If the board had chosen to leave it continue Zoom meetings, there was a fairly significant risk of further disruption further antisemitic comments that could have been really harmful to the community," Student Board representative Karthi Gottipatti said. "So there is a strong argument to be made that we shouldn't be giving a platform to individuals who are going to make hurtful comments. That said, there are no good options. It [the ban] does come at the cost of some speech."](https://verdemagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Screenshot-2023-11-17-2.29.01-PM-1.png)
The Palo Alto Unified School District school board has just a few weeks left in their temporary suspension of online public commentary at their meetings after antisemitic comments were made at a Palo Alto City Council meeting.
Ever since the pandemic, the board has used Zoom to allow members of the community to participate in public meetings from their own homes.
After a Palo Alto City Council meeting on Oct. 16, the PAUSD board members decided to bar members of the community from speaking via Zoom after several antisemitic comments were made. The suspension is set to end on Dec. 12 unless the board chooses to renew it.
They voted on the suspension during a special meeting on Oct. 20, which ended in a three-to-one majority.
According to Paly’s Student Board Representative Karthi Gottipatti, the decision to close public commentary on Zoom may limit the presence of student voices because the meetings primarily take place on weekday evenings.
“We should take all reasonable action to avoid a repeat of the events at the city council meeting,” Gottipati said. “However, I do not believe that the right path is in limiting speech and the accessibility of a platform.”
In a public message on the superintendent’s update from October 20, school board President Jennifer DiBrienza announced that the board will be creating an ad hoc committee to discuss future practices for when virtual commentary returns.