Headmaster of Elite Houston School Resigns Amid Controversy Over Award to Students Who Erased Israel From Map

The head of an elite Houston private school that counts President George W. Bush and his brother Jeb as alumni is resigning from his post amid controversy over campus antisemitism.

Jonathan Eades, the headmaster at the Kinkaid School, announced his resignation on Wednesday, citing the need to "prioritize" his family. The Kinkaid Board of Trustees said in a letter that Eades had been weighing the decision for over a year, though sources familiar with the situation told the Washington Free Beacon it was evident that the board had moved swiftly to push him out.

The departure comes as Eades and Kinkaid faced scrutiny over the school’s teachers giving an award to a pro-Palestinian student group during the school’s "Culture Fest" in March. The event, typically held in the spring, features booths and exhibits on various cultures and countries, according to the school’s website. This year, a booth on "Palestine" featured a poster that referred to Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank as "Palestine"—effectively denying the existence of the Jewish state.

When the viral X account StopAntisemitism took note that faculty members had bestowed an award on the students behind the poster, Eades pointed the finger at the social media posting. "These posts and their associated comments go against everything that Kinkaid stands for and how we teach our students civil discourse," he wrote in a letter to the school community on May 2, adding that Kinkaid "will not tolerate antisemitism."

"This is deeply disappointing," Sen. Ted Cruz (R., Texas) said of the incident last week.

The Jewish Federation of Greater Houston had pressed Eades on the issue, saying in a letter obtained by the Free Beacon that "rejecting Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state is seen as a form of antisemitism that aims to eliminate the only Jewish state in the world."

"Exacerbating the situation," the federation added, "has been the response that followed, particularly the prize awarded in recognition of this material by faculty, which conveyed unintended but harmful messages to Jewish students and families."

In the May 2 letter, Eades, who reportedly earns more than $1 million a year, took issue with what he called "misinformation" about the March 31 incident, which was highlighted by prominent social media accounts like StopAntisemitism.

"These posts state that school leadership has displayed a lack of accountability and action regarding an incident that occurred at Culture Fest back on March 31," wrote Eades, who has been in the job since 2019. "Nothing could be further from the truth. The fact is the School launched an investigation and is taking appropriate action." He did not specify what that action was, and the most immediate fallout has been Eades’s own resignation.

"As we prepare our students for college and beyond, it is imperative that we model civility for our students, provide them with the tools needed to discern facts from misinformation, and develop the understanding and curiosity needed to navigate these incredibly difficult conversations," wrote Eades.

It is unclear whether Kinkaid has taken disciplinary action over the March 31 event. The school did not respond to requests for comment.

But the erasure of Israel has been a common theme at schools across the country, as well as within the Democratic Party. New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani and congressional "Squad" members like Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D., Mich.) have repeatedly refused to denounce slogans like, "From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be free," which is widely seen as a call to eliminate Israel.

In New York City, teachers at Brooklyn’s Origins High School sued the city’s education department in 2024 for failing to discipline students who chanted, "F— the Jews," and gave Nazi salutes during a march across campus.

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