Controversial social media influencer Ben Azoulay spoke to the Beverly Hills High School Israel club on Feb. 17. (photo via @king_azoulay on Instagram)

The president of a student club at Beverly Hills High School defended the group’s decision to host a controversial guest speaker on campus in February. At a Beverly Hills Unified School District Board of Education meeting on March 10, the president of the Israel club, a sophomore student, said that the Feb. 17 event featuring social media influencer and podcaster Ben Azoulay was “completely planned, organized and run by students.” He alleged the club has been subsequently punished and discriminated against by the high school administration.

The event drew criticism and outrage from the Beverly Hills community, as Azoulay has made disparaging statements about women online and was accused of raping a 15-year-old girl in 2008, when he was 18 years old. According to a lawsuit, Azoulay was convicted of a related criminal charge.

Following outrage from the community, BHUSD Superintendent Alex Cherniss called Azoulay’s views “abhorrent.”

“Had the principal or district known ahead of time, he would have never been approved to speak to this student club,” Cherniss said on Feb. 25.

It is unclear what Azoulay spoke about during his visit to the Beverly Hills High School Israel club on Feb. 17. Social media posts showed him accompanied by Rabbi Danny Illulian. Illulian is a “spiritual advisor” to the school’s Israel club and Jewish club.

The Israel club president said that following the controversy, he was informed by a Beverly Hills High School assistant principal that Illulian was no longer allowed on campus on an indefinite basis.

“In planning this event, I submitted all the required forms and the event was approved by the school, and I have documentation proving this,” the club’s president said. “Why would the school explicitly approve a guest speaker to come on campus then subsequently penalize us for bringing him? More importantly, how is this controversy relevant to Rabbi Danni?”

He said that the school’s actions were an attempt to “stifle the First Amendment rights of Jewish students and speakers.”

“It is quite clear that this incident is not about our guest speaker,” the student said. “This is clearly yet another attempt by the school to discriminate against our club as well as Jewish and Israeli students in general.”

Additionally, the Israel club president alleged that there have been “countless other examples of discrimination” against the club dating back years.

Board Member Dr. Amanda Stern said the board will address the issue of guest speakers at the March 24 meeting.

“I’ve been assured that there will be some drafting about guidelines, policies, and I’m looking forward to that, working as a board for the March 24 meeting,” Stern said.

No other board members commented on the issue.