The assignment distorts the facts of Mahmoud Khalil’s detention and promotes stereotypes and misinformation
The New Jersey chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NJ) today called for an immediate investigation into a biased social studies assignment reportedly given to students at New Brunswick High School.
The assignment, which allegedly asked students to cast judgment on the case of Mahmoud Khalil—a lawful U.S. resident detained as part of President Trump’s crackdown on anti-war dissent—distorted the facts surrounding Khalil’s detention, while perpetuating harmful and false stereotypes about anti-genocide protesters.
READ MORE: Assignment littered with false claims and biased language
Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University student, was detained earlier this month in New York City. Khalil, who was a green card holder at the time, is married to a U.S. citizen. His detention followed his protest of the ongoing Gaza genocide.
CAIR-NJ Executive Director Selaedin Maksut stated:
“This assignment is an egregious violation of educational integrity. By distorting the facts of Mahmoud Khalil’s case and presenting him in an unfair and biased light, this lesson is not only misleading but harmful. It perpetuates a dangerous narrative that seeks to silence dissent and label those who speak out for human rights as threats.
“It is crucial our students are taught to think critically and engage with issues fairly, without being subjected to discriminatory and inaccurate portrayals of individuals based on their activism or identity.
“We call for an immediate investigation into how this assignment was created and distributed and for corrective action to ensure that such biased materials are never used again in New Jersey’s classrooms.”
BACKGROUNDER:
The assignment presented a biased and misleading portrayal of Khalil, referring to him as a “Hamas student” and a terrorism supporter. It falsely implied that Khalil was involved in harassing and assaulting a Jewish student, referencing the October 7, 2023, attack without any evidence to support the claim. It further alleged that Khalil had “celebrated” the attack and distributed “terrorist propaganda.”
While the assignment did briefly note that Khalil had not been afforded due process and that his green card was revoked without a hearing or warrant, it was framed in a way that suggested the government’s actions against him were justified. The students were instructed to approach the case as if they were judges, tasked with deciding whether Khalil’s rights had been violated and whether the government is justified in attempting to deport him from the U.S.
The assignment’s failure to provide a balanced perspective and its use of inflammatory language risks reinforcing harmful stereotypes about American Muslims, Arabs, and Palestinians as well as those advocating for human rights.
In 2024, education-related complaints were at an all-time high in New Jersey, highlighting a glaring trend of bias. CAIR-New Jersey documented 53 education-related complaints last year, according to the chapter’s latest Civil Rights Report published this month. That’s up from 35 education bias complaints in 2023.
CAIR-NJ is committed to ensuring that students are not subjected to biased education that undermines their ability to think critically about complex issues such as human rights, dissent and justice.
CAIR-NJ urges the New Brunswick school district to take swift action in reviewing the assignment and implementing measures to prevent the use of biased materials in the future.
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
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CONTACT: CAIR-NJ Communications Manager Aya Elamroussi, 551-208-5482, aelamroussi@cair.com.