The San Francisco Bay Area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-SFBA), National Lawyers Guild – San Francisco Bay Area, American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), and Arab Resource & Organizing Center today jointly submitted a federal civil rights complaint to the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) against Santa Clara Unified School District (SCUSD). The complaint calls for an investigation into systemic anti-Palestinian discrimination that has reportedly created a hostile environment for Palestinian, Arab, and Muslim students, parents, and educators within SCUSD schools.
Complaint Overview
The complaint alleges that SCUSD has engaged in or permitted actions that foster a hostile educational environment, including:
- Harassment of Palestinian students, parents, and teachers by SCUSD officials.
- Differential treatment of Palestinian students.
- Failure to address students’ safety concerns.
- Suppression of Palestinian perspectives in the classroom.
These reported incidents collectively contribute to a pervasive anti-Palestinian, anti-Arab, and anti-Muslim climate within SCUSD in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
This complaint follows a similar Title VI filing by CAIR-SFBA and ADC earlier this year against Berkeley Unified School District (BUSD) for comparable issues related to anti-Palestinian discrimination. Both complaints highlight a troubling pattern of marginalization and discriminatory treatment of Palestinian, Arab, and Muslim students across California schools, underscoring the urgent need for accountability and reform within educational institutions.
Specific Reported Incidents
The SCUSD complaint includes detailed accounts of reported incidents, including but not limited to:
- Discrimination against a Palestinian family at a school cultural festival, where a parent’s booth was reportedly isolated and a cultural display vandalized by other attendees. Despite witnessing the incident, school officials allegedly failed to intervene.
- Students subjected to ongoing racial and ethnic slurs, with minimal action taken by the administration, creating a chilling environment for Palestinian, Arab, and Muslim students.
- A qualified Palestinian parent denied substitute teaching assignments at her children’s school multiple times, despite visible substitute needs, allegedly in response to her Palestinian identity and prior complaints about discrimination.
- Teachers reportedly silenced for providing factual educational materials about Palestine, while anti-Palestinian perspectives are allowed to proliferate unchecked within the classroom.
- Disparate treatment of speakers on Palestine and Israel. While a vetted Palestinian community speaker’s appearance was delayed and tightly controlled, a former Israeli soldier with a history of anti-Palestinian statements was approved, with minimal vetting.
Statements from Impacted Individuals
Teacher A (as identified in the complaint) stated:
“As an educator, my priority is to provide an inclusive, balanced, and accurate learning environment for all my students. However, when I’ve shared factual materials on Palestine or responded to students’ questions on the subject, I’ve been investigated and accused of violating board policy while trying to teach history objectively—scrutiny that other teachers simply don’t experience.
“This selective suppression of Palestinian perspectives sends a message to students that their identities and histories are less worthy of respect. I am committed to supporting my students, but it’s disheartening to see how these double standards harm both them and our community as a whole.”
Parent A (as identified in the complaint) stated:
“As a parent, it’s devastating to see my children face discrimination simply because of their Palestinian identity. They should be able to feel safe and proud at school, but instead, they’ve been singled out, ignored, and treated unfairly.
“I’ve watched their confidence and pride in their heritage diminish because of the constant hostility they face. This isn’t just about individual incidents; it’s about a systemic failure to protect them and treat all students equally. No parent should have to send their child to school fearing they’ll face this kind of bias.”
CAIR-SFBA Executive Director Zahra Billoo added:
“Our students deserve a safe, inclusive learning environment where they can express their cultural and national identities without fear. Santa Clara Unified School District’s failure to protect Palestinian, Arab, and Muslim students from discrimination and its disregard for basic civil rights protections is unacceptable.
“This pattern of systemic anti-Palestinian racism not only harms students’ educational experiences but also sends a harmful message that certain voices are less valued.
“We call on the Department of Education to investigate these serious violations, which come amidst a concerning rise in anti-Muslim hate crimes and violence across the U.S., and to hold SCUSD accountable in ensuring equal treatment and safety for all students.”
Requested Remedies
The complaint urges OCR to investigate SCUSD’s compliance with applicable law including Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and for SCUSD to take comprehensive measures, including:
- Implementing a fair, transparent speaker vetting process.
- Establishing anti-racism training for staff focused on anti-Palestinian and anti-Muslim bias.
- Issuing a public apology to the affected community.
- Hiring culturally responsive mental health professionals for students.
- Clarifying SCUSD policies to ensure balanced inclusion of Palestinian perspectives.