Published by Jewish Insider on 2/20/2025 California’s Santa Ana Unified School District cited antisemitism as its reason to stop teaching ethnic studies after settling a lawsuit on Thursday that claimed course material used by the district was rooted in antisemitic rhetoric. The lawsuit — filed by the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law, Anti-Defamation League and American Jewish Committee — alleged that the courses “Ethnic Studies World Geography,” “Ethnic Studies World Histories” and “Ethnic Studies: Perspectives, Identities, and Social Justice” contained false and damaging narratives about Israel and Jews. Under the settlement, the school district agreed to redesign those courses and provide opportunity for public input in accordance with California’s open meeting laws. Since the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attacks in Israel, K-12 classrooms have seen a rise in the use of antisemitic materials — with several particularly egregious incidents concentrated in California school districts. The settlement makes Santa Ana the state’s first school district to cite antisemitism as its reason for ceasing ethnic studies. One year ago, the ADL and Brandeis Center filed a complaint with the Department of Education against the Berkeley Unified School District, which alleged that the district had failed to take action against “severe and persistent” bullying and harassment of Jewish students by peers and teachers since Oct. 7. That complaint remains under investigation. In January, the Palo Alto school district paused the requirement for incoming freshmen to take ethnic studies, but pointed to lack of state funding as the reason. The involvement of several major Jewish groups in the lawsuit speaks to the “fact that this is not just a problem locally in Santa Ana but it’s a problem nationally and it’s something that we can’t allow to continue,” Marci Miller, Brandeis Center’s director of legal investigations, told Jewish Insider. The lawsuit, which was filed one year ago, alleged that Ethnic Studies Steering Committee officials considered holding meetings to approve courses on Jewish holidays to make it difficult or impossible for Jews to attend. The pejorative term “Jewish Question” appeared on a committee agenda. Members of the Steering Committee reportedly said, “Jews are the oppressors” and do not belong in ethnic studies, referred to Jewish organizations as “racist” and urged that SAUSD not “cave” to their concerns. That same committee member reportedly refused to call Hamas a terrorist organization even after Oct. 7, arguing that it would be “dehumaniz[ing]” to call Hamas members “terrorists.” Another committee leader, according to the lawsuit, referred to the only Jewish member as a “colonized Jewish mind” and a “f—ing baby” for expressing concerns over antisemitism. The settlement drew on California’s open meeting law, known as the Brown Act — the statute that makes ethnic studies a requirement for high school graduation in California — and other state and federal laws that require school districts to create courses free from bias, bigotry and discrimination, and allow for public input before approving new courses. Daniel Shallman, managing partner of Covington and Burling’s Los Angeles office and lead counsel for the plaintiffs, said in a statement that “the settlement will bring necessary sunlight to SAUSD’s curriculum development process and will ensure that biased, antisemitic content will stay out of the classroom.” Under the terms of the settlement, SAUSD agreed to adhere to teaching based on fact and allow for alternative views; to ensure all sides of a controversial issue are impartially presented; to teach students to separate opinion from fact; and that no teacher or speaker may use the classroom or materials to advocate their own religious, political, economic or social views. Additionally, SAUSD will permanently disband its Ethnic Studies Steering Committee, and the district will stop working with the outside consultant who expressed antisemitic views, including equating Israel with “settler colonialism.” “We’re very pleased with the settlement. It ended up being very positive for not just us but as a cautionary tale to other districts around the country,” said Miller, who is based in Santa Ana. James Pasch, ADL’s vice president of national litigation, echoed in a statement that this case “sends a message — not just in Santa Ana, but from coast-to-coast.” “If school leaders proceed with implementing antisemitic curriculum and material in violation of the law, we will use the courts to protect the community,” Pasch said.