California Parents Sue School District Over Mosque Visit and Hijab Encouragement

A group of parents and former students, including Jewish families, filed a lawsuit against the Palo Alto school district in California after a mosque visit last fall as part of the school's "Social Justice" program. The lawsuit alleges that during the visit, students were given copies of the Quran and female students were encouraged to wear the hijab, crossing the line from academic study into religious promotion. It also claims students were exposed to Zahra Billoo, director of the San Francisco Bay Area branch of the Islamic organization CAIR, who has previously made harsh statements against Jews. Video from May shows Billoo advising supporters not to publicly express anti-Zionist sentiments on professional networks for strategic reasons.

Billoo denied the allegations, calling the lawsuit "misguided," and stated the students' participation was voluntary and intended to expose them to different religions and worldviews. The parents argue the school district failed to supervise the students properly and violated their rights and privacy, including publishing student photos online without parental consent. Jason Glass, the school district superintendent, said the district has not yet officially received the lawsuit and cannot verify the claims but emphasized that religious instruction in public schools must be academic, not devotional. He added the district is reviewing its policies following the incident.