School Cancels Author After Resurfaced Gaza Letter Sparks Outrage

A New York Times bestselling author found herself barred from a speaking gig after a years-old social media post sparked outrage. Vashti Harrison, whose name is known for children's books and illustrations, was set to headline an event at the African American Research Library & Cultural Center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on September 17.

The trouble started when a January 2024 entry resurfaced online. It showed her proudly signing a letter aimed then-President Joe Biden that called for a ceasefire in Gaza. That single image was enough to change the course of the day entirely.

Broward County Public Schools, which sponsored the gathering, dropped Harrison from the lineup immediately. They went further than just canceling her appearance; they scrapped the whole function and issued an apology to everyone involved on Thursday. The district statement made it clear: 'The District was unaware of previous statements made by the speaker at the time of the selection.'

They also said the event, along with any planned field trips for students, would be canceled outright. Everything would need rescheduling around a different guest. A spokesperson for the Broward County Public Library told the Miami Herald that Harrison's slot had indeed been cut without naming names directly in their official reply.

The original listing on the BCPS website was inviting guests to join the Federal Programs department and welcome the New York Times bestselling author and illustrator of children's books, Vashti Harrison to inspire young minds to dream Big. The page even promised food would be provided and asked people to register using a specific link.

This situation raises serious questions about how schools handle controversy surrounding their invited guests. It forces communities to weigh free speech against community standards in real time. Families might feel caught between supporting an artist and fearing the school's reaction if they do not conform to every political opinion held by the district leadership. The risk of alienating a segment of the student body or parents is very high when such decisions are made on public pressure alone.

The timing matters here too. This update breaks late, showing how fast digital footprints can undo plans that took months to arrange. Harrison remains an award-winning creator with decades of work behind her, yet one old post now defines this chapter of her career in Broward County. The cancellation sends a loud message about what kind of voices the school system is willing to amplify right now.

The RSVP link is dead. The event is off the table. This cancellation comes after a blog post by Kevin Deutsch, a local reporter running the Substack After October 7. Deutsch owns up to outing Harrison's alleged role in an anti-Israel campaign. That campaign accused the Jewish state of "genocide" and falsely claimed it sought to "destroy all Palestinian people," among other lies with no support in fact or law. The reporter said he pushed BCPS for answers once he revealed Harrison backed Gaza. He asked pointed questions: Who picked and approved Harrison? What vetting happened? Did officials know about her involvement and the false claims about Israel? Was she getting paid? Was Title I or other public money used? Would the district rethink her participation? Cathleen Brennan, a BCPS spokesperson, told Deutsch the school district had reached out to its subject matter experts. Her office would get back with details once they became available.

Harrison's January 2024 Instagram post came to light, showing her proud support for signing a letter sent to then-President Joe Biden demanding a ceasefire. In that 2024 post, Harrison said she was one of 7,000 voices who signed the KidLit4Ceasefire letter. That letter gathered names from members of the literary and publishing community. "Dear President Biden, We've come together as children's authors, illustrators, agents, editors, and other publishing professionals across the US and beyond who have witnessed the indiscriminate bombing and ground invasions of Gaza by Israeli forces over the last 100+ days," the letter read in 2024. It went on to say these attacks killed more than 31,000 Palestinians. Twelve thousand of those victims were children with a median reported age of five years old. Those numbers have since doubled. As of October 2025, more than 67,000 Palestinians are dead and nearly 170,000 others are wounded, according to Gaza Ministry of Health figures. The Daily Mail has contacted BCPS and Vashti Harrison for comment.