Multi-faith parents sue Palo Alto schools over mosque field trip and religious attire

Jewish, Hindu and Zoroastrian parents have sued Palo Alto Unified School District and Palo Alto High School principal Brent Kline, asserting that a fall 2025 field trip to a local mosque violated constitutional limits on religious instruction in public schools. The lawsuit says the Social Justice Pathway curriculum led students to the Muslim Community Association’s mosque, where they observed a Dhuhr prayer, participated in the Noor Hifz Academy youth program, received Qurans to take home, and were encouraged to wear hijabs, all without parental permission.

The suit also references a meeting with Zahra Billoo, executive director of the Bay Area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, whose prior statements have sparked controversy. Plaintiffs contend the district is endorsing Islam as the preferred faith for socially-just students, infringing the separation of church and state. Superintendent Jason Glass confirmed the allegations are under review but declined further comment.

The Muslim Community Association defended the trip as educational, while the student newspaper’s editor denied that hijabs were forced and criticized media coverage. The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression warned that compulsory religious attire could breach the First Amendment.