Parents of students have filed a lawsuit against the Palo Alto school district in California after a field trip was organized to a mosque as part of a program focused on “social justice.” Among the plaintiffs are two Jewish parents and three former Jewish students.
According to the complaint, which was also filed against Palo Alto High School, copies of the Quran were allegedly distributed to students during the visit, and young girls were encouraged to wear the hijab. The families believe that certain activities went beyond the scope of academic teaching about religions and took on a religious dimension. They also claim that photographs of students were shared online without their parents’ permission.
The complaint also targets the presence of Zahra Billoo, head of the San Francisco Bay Area branch of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR). The plaintiffs notably reproach her for past statements hostile to Zionists. In May, she was filmed advising her supporters not to post messages such as “I hate all Zionists” on professional networks, not because of the substance, but because it would “not be strategic.”
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Zahra Billoo rejects the accusations and describes the procedure as “misguided.” She states that participation was voluntary and that the purpose of the visit was to introduce students to different religions and worldviews.
The head of the school district, Jason Glass, says he has not yet officially received the complaint. He nevertheless notes that religious teaching in public schools must remain “academic and non-denominational,” and announces a review of the district’s procedures.