Civil rights organizations have filed a Title VI complaint against a local school district for alleged discrimination against Palestinian students, parents and educators.
Santa Clara Unified School District will be facing a federal civil rights complaint filed with the U.S. Department of Education. The complaint alleges school officials engaged in or permitted actions which created a hostile educational environment, failed to address students’ safety concerns and suppressed Palestinian perspectives in the classroom. SCUSD spokesperson Jennifer Dericco said the district heard a complaint was filed with the Office of Civil Rights, but hasn’t been formally served. In the meantime, the district has started its own investigation.
The San Francisco Bay Area Office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), National Lawyers Guild San Francisco Bay Area, American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee and Arab Resource and Organizing Center jointly submitted the complaint.
CAIR San Francisco Bay Area Executive Director Zahra Billoo said students are concerned their advocacy for human rights is being silenced.