Alleged Muslim Brotherhood-Linked Group Files Lawsuit Against California Antisemitism Law
The ADC has filed a lawsuit against a new California law that protects students from antisemitic discrimination—inadvertently exposing educators inserting biased political views into the classroom
A lawsuit challenging California’s recently enacted antisemitism protections has inadvertently exposed how educators are incorporating biased political views into their classrooms, according to an investigation by K-12 Extremism Tracker. The case is being brought by an organization with alleged financial ties to a Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated entity. The Muslim Brotherhood was recently designated as a foreign terrorist organization by Texas Governor Greg Abbott.
The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against Governor Gavin Newsom, Attorney General Rob Bonta, and State Superintendent Tony Thurmond on behalf of several California educators and parents.
The litigation contests Assembly Bill 715, signed into law on October 7, 2025, which aims to shield students from antisemitic discrimination. The plaintiffs contend the measure infringes on teachers’ free speech rights and due process, arguing its definitions are overly broad and vague.
Funding Connections Raise Questions
According to K-12 Extremism Tracker’s findings, the ADC received $8,000 between 2013 and 2016 from the International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT). The Middle East Forum has characterized IIIT as a prominent Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated organization.
IIIT was referenced in a 1991 Muslim Brotherhood strategic memorandum and designated as an unindicted co-conspirator in the Holy Land Foundation terror financing case. Former and current board members have been identified as having Muslim Brotherhood ties. Furthermore, IIIT is part of the SAFA network, which was linked to suspected financing of the U.S.-designated terror group Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) during federal investigations.
Teachers’ Classroom Activities Under Scrutiny
The complaint’s details reveal the teaching practices at the center of the controversy:
Andrea Prichett, a Berkeley middle school history teacher, who teaches about “settlement, colonization, and genocide, including in Palestine.” She runs a student club called the “Watermelon Society” to learn about “the history and culture of Palestine.” Following the October 7 Hamas attacks, Prichett posted social media commentary expressing skepticism that Hamas targeted civilians.
Jonah Olsen, an Adelanto middle school science teacher, characterizes Zionism as based on Jewish superiority and describes it as an occupation of land “inhabited primarily by Palestinians for hundreds of years,” according to the lawsuit documentation.
Dunia Hassan, a high school Spanish teacher who advises the Muslim Students Association, arranged for a Palestinian speaker at her school the month after Hamas’ October 7 massacre. A separate complaint filed by StandWithUS alleged the speaker made inflammatory statements about Zionism, while MSA students distributed stickers reading “F*ck Zionism.” At least one staff member reportedly offered extra credit for attendance.
Kauser Adenwala was found by Santa Clara Unified School District to have engaged in misconduct for showing students a Turkish state media video during a Holocaust lesson. The video featured a Holocaust survivor protesting alleged “genocide” in Gaza, juxtaposing Holocaust imagery with scenes from the current conflict. She reportedly conducted a December 2023 lesson on “human rights violations” focusing on Israel as an authoritarian actor and referred to security barriers as “apartheid walls.”
Ron Gochez of Los Angeles Educators for Justice in Palestine has been documented on video discussing how he brings students to protests through indirect means, claiming he and students coincidentally appear at the same pro-Palestine demonstrations. The Department of Homeland Security referred his remarks about ICE agents and community self-defense to the Department of Justice.
Misinterpretation of Antisemitism Definition
The lawsuit argues that the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism, which California law references, conflates criticism of the State of Israel and Zionism to antisemitism. However, the IHRA explicitly states that “criticism of Israel similar to that leveled against any other country cannot be regarded as antisemitic.”
The IHRA definition does identify as antisemitic: denying Jewish self-determination, applying double standards to Israel, comparing Israeli policy to Nazism, and holding Jews collectively responsible for Israeli government actions.