CAIR-SFBA Condemns State’s Biased Decision Targeting Palestinian Expression in Oakland Schools

The state’s decision mischaracterizes cultural education and discussion of Palestinian human rights as antisemitism, further entrenching the dangerous trend of conflating criticism of Israel with hate toward Jewish people.

In a statement, CAIR-SFBA Executive Director Zahra Billoo said:

“The state has effectively ruled that acknowledging Palestine or teaching about Palestinian oppression is discriminatory. This is a shameful attempt to police speech and erase Arab and Palestinian narratives from our schools at a time when students most need truth and context.”

CAIR-SFBA noted that the complaints triggering the state investigation were fueled by escalating pressure from anti-Palestinian advocacy groups seeking to silence solidarity with Palestine. These complaints centered on standard classroom instruction—including displaying a Palestinian flag and using maps to teach about the region’s history—and targeted the Arab Resource and Organizing Center (AROC), a long-standing community partner to schools, questioning its involvement because of its pro-Palestinian stance.

“Community organizations like AROC have long provided vital educational and cultural resources for Bay Area schools. Attempts to vilify them for supporting Arab and Palestinian students are part of a broader campaign to chill solidarity and rewrite history,” Billoo said.

CAIR-SFBA emphasized that the CDE’s decision shows how the state’s new so-called “antisemitism” law, AB 715, is already having a chilling impact—even before it takes effect.

“Even before AB 715 takes effect, we’re already seeing how it can be used to silence educators and students who discuss Palestine openly,” Billoo added. “Decisions like this send a clear message to teachers: teaching honestly about Palestine could cost you or your district. We opposed AB 715 precisely because it paves the way for this kind of state-sanctioned silencing.”

This misguided focus persists despite the documented, urgent need to address anti-Muslim discrimination in schools. CAIR California’s 2025 School Bullying Report shows that half of Muslim students in California report being bullied because of their faith, many encounter biased or harmful teaching practices, and large numbers feel unsafe and unwelcome at school.

“Our data show that students who are visibly Muslim and who speak up about their identities are already facing hostility,” said Billoo. “They deserve protection from harassment, not a new wave of investigations aimed at the teachers and districts that dare to acknowledge Palestinian history and suffering. Instead of addressing the lived reality of Islamophobia in classrooms, the state has chosen to treat Palestine-focused education as inherently suspect.”

CAIR-SFBA called on the CDE to:

* Rescind its flawed findings that conflate criticism of Israel with anti-Jewish discrimination.
* Ensure that any required “anti-bias” training explicitly protects the right to discuss Palestine, criticize Israeli government policies, and uplift Palestinian narratives.
* Engage directly with Arab and Muslim educators to ensure Arab American Heritage Month and related curriculum are developed with accuracy, integrity, and community input.

CAIR-SFBA further urged Governor Gavin Newsom and state officials to reject efforts that criminalize or censor Palestinian voices in California schools. “True equity requires that students learn about all peoples and all histories—not just those that comfort the powerful,” Billoo said. “Silencing Palestine is not anti-bias training; it’s political repression.”


CAIR-SFBA is an office of CAIR, America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.

https://ca.cair.com/press-release/cair-sfba-condemns-states-biased-decision-targeting-palestinian-expression-in-oakland-schools/