The San Francisco Bay Area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-SFBA) and the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) today jointly submitted a federal civil rights complaint to the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR), urging an immediate investigation into the hostile environment of anti-Palestinian, anti-Arab and Islamophobic discrimination within Berkeley Unified School District (BUSD).
SEE: BUSD Title VI Complaint for Anti-Palestinian Racism
The complaint, filed on behalf of educators, staff, and caregivers, outlines months of severe discrimination, harassment, and intimidation experienced by Palestinian, Arab and Muslim students within BUSD schools since October 7, 2023. These incidents, reported to BUSD leaders, underscore a troubling pattern of exclusion and marginalization.
The reported incidents include:
- Slurs and hate targeted at BUSD Palestinian, Arab and Muslim students.
- Repeated censorship of BUSD Palestinian, Arab and Muslim students.
- Unequal use of BUSD resources to address concerns of Palestinian, Arab and Muslim students.
- Harassment of BUSD teachers who speak about Palestinian freedom.
In a statement, Laura Benghal, Berkeley mother of four Muslim children, said:
“My daughter asked her teacher if she could do a presentation to humanize Palestinians for her class and was told no. The principal never approved it. Our family has friends in Jerusalem who had their three children taken from their home and imprisoned by Israelis. They are still in prison, and my daughter knows; she can’t pretend not to know. BUSD has denied my daughter’s repeated requests for space to process the massacres she is watching. This discrimination is system-wide.”
In a statement, CAIR-SFBA Executive Director Zahra Billoo said:
“The pervasive anti-Palestinian racism within Berkeley schools is deeply concerning and demands urgent action. Palestinian, Arab and Muslim students should not have to endure discrimination or fear for their safety while pursuing their education. It is imperative that BUSD upholds its legal obligation to safeguard the learning environment for all students, irrespective of their background.
“We call on the Department of Education to conduct a thorough investigation and ensure that BUSD takes meaningful steps to address and rectify these systemic issues, which come amidst a concerning surge in anti-Muslim hate crimes and violence across the U.S., disproportionately impacting Palestinians, Arabs and Muslims.”
The complaint urges the federal Department of Education Office for Civil Rights to investigate BUSD’s compliance with applicable law, including Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and for BUSD to take the following immediate measures:
- Partner with Berkeley’s Palestinian, Arab and Muslim communities and expert educators to co-create and implement a classroom curriculum that includes Arab American Studies and Palestinian perspectives on history and current events.
- Partner with Berkeley’s Palestinian, Arab and Muslim communities and expert educators to train BUSD staff on anti-Palestinian, anti-Arab and anti-Muslim racism.
- Cease district censorship of students asking to learn and speak about Palestine and the punishment of teachers trying to teach from multiple perspectives.
- Consistently distinguish between speech critical of the Israeli nation-state’s treatment of Palestinians and speech that is hateful towards Jews.
- Make clear to Berkeley’s diverse community that speech supportive of Palestinians’ right to live in freedom is a welcomed perspective in Berkeley schools.
CAIR-SFBA is an office of CAIR, America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
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CONTACT: CAIR-SFBA Communications Manager Lorrie Adam, ladam@cair.com, 408.498.5779