Months later, Oakland teacher stands by objectives of pro-Palestinian "teach-in"
An Oakland teacher who participated in a controversial pro-Palestinian "teach-in" in December still stands by her actions, saying students deserved to know the details surrounding the deadly conflict between Israel and Hamas.
In December, dozens of teachers within the district participated in an unsanctioned teach-in highlighting pro-Palestinian lessons rather than material in the district-approved curriculum.
The event is believed to be one cause that has since triggered federal investigations by the U.S. Department of Education into alleged civil rights violations and religious discrimination into both the Oakland Unified School District and the San Francisco Unified School District.
One teacher who participated in the controversial "teach-in" told CBS News Bay Area that they stand by their participation to teach curious students the details surrounding the deadly and historic conflict.
"Students are exploring the connections between their own experience between what the U.S. government and why agents with the U.S. government do here and in other places, and just thinking about historical and current context for the situation unfolding in Gaza in the Middle East in general, so I'm proud of our students and staff," the teacher said.
For the first time since the controversial demonstration, one participating teacher spoke to CBS News Bay Area on the condition of anonymity. She asked only to be identified as a high school teacher within the district.
We met in her classroom, where she says she observed students engaging with the proposed material written by a group of teachers within the teacher's union named "OEA for Palestine." The suggested curriculum was not approved by the district.
"It's more for students to consider multiple perspectives and walk out maybe with some more questions," the teacher explained. "So, in that sense, I absolutely think that the teacher can encourage that."
The proposed curriculum has come under fire for containing what Jewish parents and leaders say is antisemitic content.
CBS News reviewed the material that was recommended for grades T-K through high school and found some content that parents and community leaders consider to be antisemitic or offensive to Jewish students. It's unclear how much of the material was taught during the teach-in.
Jewish students within the Oakland Unified School District are beginning to be approved for transfers out of the district after claims of antisemitism stemming from the teach-in.
But the teacher said she did not see any instance of antisemitism take place the day of the demonstration.
"I did not see any evidence of a teacher or student engaging in any antisemitic comment or behavior on the day of the teach-in," the teacher said. "We might have a difference of opinion on what is antisemitic and I think that yeah, I think criticism of Israel is not antisemitic."
OUSD did not respond to CBS News Bay Area's request for comment.
Complaints of religious discrimination are being reported within the San Francisco Unified School District as well.
Tyler Gregory is the leader of the Jewish Community Relations Council. He says San Francisco parents have reported similar activity seen in Oakland of unsanctioned material regarding the ongoing conflict being taught in San Francisco schools where a handful of parents are applying to transfer out.
"The teachers union in San Francisco has said openly anti-Israel, things that make a lot of Jewish students feel unsafe," he explained. "We've seen these Gaza walkouts that are in support of the Palestinians, but have resulted in Jewish students feeling unsafe, and there have been a couple incidents where teachers have participated or encouraged it."
In a statement, SFUSD told CBS News Bay Area "we are aware that the Department of Education opened a Civil Rights complaint. We are committed to fully cooperating with the investigation. SFUSD policies prohibit discrimination and we take any report of discrimination seriously."
So far at least 30 Jewish students have transferred out of the OUSD, according to district officials. Gregory says a handful of Jewish students are also planning leave San Francisco Unified.
The Anti-Defamation League also filed a federal complaint against the Berkeley Unified School District in late February, alleging officials ignored the bullying and harassment of their Jewish students.
The U.S. Department of Education and California Department of Education declined to comment on the active investigations.
In Oakland, Shira Avoth is a parent of a middle schooler within the OUSD. She says it was bittersweet when she found out in early March that her son was approved for a transfer into the Piedmont School district after experiencing antisemitism in the classroom.
"It's heartbreaking and the fact that in 2024 I don't feel like my son is safe," she explained.
For this teacher, she feels justified in her participation in furthering the knowledge and education of her students.
"If transferring out was because of an allegation of antisemitism, that learning about Palestine or learning about what's happening currently in Palestine, for learning about the pellet Palestinian freedom struggle if that is inherently antisemitic," she explained, "then that would lead us to, I think, an ideological difference. And I think that that's something that we could maybe continue to talk about and try to, to parse out."
