The Santa Ana Unified School District (SAUSD), California, has agreed to discontinue its Ethnic Studies curriculum following a lawsuit brought by multiple Jewish advocacy organizations. The case, filed by the Brandeis Center, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), and the American Jewish Committee (AJC), accused the district of covertly developing courses that incorporated antisemitic content and excluding public input in violation of California’s open meeting laws, according to a report by Fox News. The settlement mandates that SAUSD revise its Ethnic Studies courses in compliance with state laws and ensure public transparency in curriculum development.
Allegations of secretive curriculum development
The controversy surrounding SAUSD’s Ethnic Studies program began with accusations that the school district created its curriculum in secrecy, deliberately bypassing public scrutiny. The lawsuit contended that the district’s Ethnic Studies Steering Committee had fostered an environment where antisemitic rhetoric was tolerated and even embedded in the curriculum. Jewish advocacy groups presented evidence of committee members making statements such as “Jews are the oppressors” and urging that Jewish concerns about antisemitism not be accommodated. Additionally, records revealed that school officials used Jewish holidays to schedule key meetings, seemingly to minimize Jewish community participation in the approval process.
Violations of California’s open meeting laws
At the heart of the legal battle was the alleged violation of California’s Brown Act, which requires school boards to conduct discussions about curricula in a transparent manner and provide opportunities for public input. The lawsuit revealed that SAUSD had denied the public access to crucial decision-making processes, particularly concerning the inclusion of antisemitic content. Under California law, ethnic studies curricula must be free from bias, bigotry, and discrimination—a standard the plaintiffs argued SAUSD had failed to meet.
Legal settlement and policy revisions
As part of the settlement, SAUSD has agreed to cease instruction of three Ethnic Studies courses—Ethnic Studies World Geography, Ethnic Studies World Histories, and Ethnic Studies: Perspectives, Identities, and Social Justice—until they are restructured with public input. The district must also permanently disband its Ethnic Studies Steering Committee, sever ties with an external consultant accused of antisemitic bias, and ensure that any new curriculum is developed through an open and legally compliant process.
Additionally, SAUSD has committed to recognizing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as a controversial issue and to teaching it in accordance with state guidelines, which require that all perspectives be presented impartially and that educators refrain from promoting personal political views. The removal of antisemitic content from Ethnic Studies World Histories will allow the course to continue for the remainder of the school year.
This lawsuit and its resolution serve as a warning to other school districts in California and across the country. Jewish advocacy groups argue that SAUSD’s attempt to introduce antisemitic material under the guise of ethnic studies is not an isolated incident but part of a broader pattern in educational institutions. The Brandeis Center, ADL, and AJC have signaled their readiness to take legal action against any district that engages in similar practices, emphasizing that curriculum development must be conducted in the “light of day.”
