House Probe Alleges School Districts Push Anti-Israel Activism and Radical Curriculums
House Republicans released the findings of an investigative probe into major public school districts on Wednesday, alleging that students have been subjected to curricula promoting anti-Israel sentiment, leftist activism, and justifications for violent resistance. The investigation, conducted by the House Education and Workforce Committee, focused primarily on school systems in Philadelphia and Berkeley, following persistent parental complaints regarding classroom advocacy.
Education and Workforce Committee Chairman Tim Walberg criticized the materials uncovered during the inquiry, stating that families expect schools to focus on foundational academics rather than polarizing political ideologies. The congressional report details how specific lesson plans incorporate concepts that validate violent decolonization, encourage identity compartmentalization, and present a sanitized perspective on Islamic jihad.
In the School District of Philadelphia, investigators examined social studies materials that utilized an article from the Yaqeen Institute regarding “Islamic Conquests and Jihad.” According to lawmakers, the text frames jihad primarily around concepts of justice and self-defense. World history curriculum guides further instructed educators to introduce students to the philosophies of Frantz Fanon, a 1950s anti-colonial author whose writings characterize decolonization as an inherently violent process. Students were subsequently asked to create artwork reflecting cultural resistance in connection with these historical frameworks.
Additional scrutiny fell on Philadelphia lesson plans incorporating resources from the Racial Justice Organization Committee. Materials obtained by the committee indicated that students were prompted to categorize personal identities into binary groupings of “dominant” and “oppressed,” attributing dominant status to males, white individuals, and Christians, while labeling Black individuals, non-Christians, immigrants, and gay people as oppressed. Other exercises utilized videos addressing white supremacy and introduced students to alternative pronoun structures.
Philadelphia Superintendent Tony Watlington previously assured lawmakers that the district does not engage in student indoctrination. Following the release of the findings, the district informed the committee that it had not intended for the Racial Justice Organization Committee materials to remain in use for the 2025–2026 academic year and that Watlington had been unaware of their presence in classrooms. The district also indicated that its social studies curriculum director is undergoing termination proceedings and that future planning will rely on national experts rather than teacher-generated modules.
On the West Coast, the Berkeley Unified School District in California faced similar scrutiny over its social studies and ethnic studies programs. Investigators found that fourth-grade students were introduced to concepts of covert and overt resistance alongside decolonizing historical narratives. Ninth-grade Arab American Studies courses featured poetry framing resistance as cultural wealth, while resource guides for Arab American Heritage Month recommended books such as “P is for Palestine,” which includes references to the intifada.
Internal communications reviewed by lawmakers showed that some Berkeley ethnic studies teachers advised colleagues against sharing specific lesson plans about Israel and Palestine directly with families. In a course titled “Defining Democracy,” instructors guided students to critique institutional power structures, including capitalism, patriarchy, and white supremacy. Educators in that course were also discouraged from using the term “Founding Fathers” on the grounds that it neglected Indigenous communities.
Beyond classroom instruction, the Berkeley probe highlighted connections between district employees and external activist organizations. Students at Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School organized a bake sale and sold Palestinian bracelets to benefit the Middle East Children’s Alliance, while an instructor utilized school email accounts to solicit donations for the same group.
A third school system, Fairfax County Public Schools in Virginia, is also under congressional review. While findings for that district remain pending, previous reports from earlier in the year examined teacher guidance regarding the events of September 11, which advised instructors to separate the attacks from Islam and emphasize Muslim American heroes, helpers, and victims.
