Parents sue Palo Alto school over mosque field trip that handed out Qurans and urged hijabs

Parents of Palo Alto High School students have sued the Palo Alto Unified School District, alleging that a field trip to a mosque as part of the school's Social Justice Pathway program involved handing out Qurans and urging female participants to wear hijabs, which some view as a religious endorsement. The plaintiffs, representing two Jewish parents, three former Jewish students, a Hindu parent and a Zoroastrian parent, also claim that photographs of the children were posted online without parental permission.

The district's superintendent, Jason Glass, said the district only became aware of the lawsuit through news coverage and has not yet been formally served, noting that any religious content must be presented in an academic, not devotional, manner. Palo Alto High School principal Brent Kline and the district are named in the complaint, which seeks a declaration of negligence and a breach of due-process rights. The lawsuit further alleges exposure to Zahra Billoo, executive director of the Bay Area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, whose remarks on Zionists have sparked controversy. Billoo responded that public schools must remain neutral while still exposing students to diverse worldviews, arguing the trip was voluntary and educational.