Chicago Schoolteachers Promote "Teach-In" Endorsed by Groups Tied to Terror Organizations

Chicago schoolteachers are promoting an upcoming "teach-in" at a community bookstore — endorsed by groups who have voiced support for Hamas and have alleged ties to U.S.-designated terror orgs

Credit: Chicago Educators for Palestine

A recent report by K12 Extremism Tracker has identified that Chicago public school educators who appear to be affiliated with the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) are promoting a "teach-in" event, scheduled for August 4th at Pilsen Community Books. Flyers on social media for the event proudly include endorsements from organizations that have expressed support for Hamas and maintain alleged ties to U.S.-designated terror groups.

The event, promoted by Chicago Educators for Palestine and advertised to CTU members, aims to pressure the union to divest from Israel with endorsements by the Palestinian Youth Movement, US Palestinian Community Network, BDS Chicago, Healthcare Workers for Palestine Chicago, and Antiwar Committee-Chicago.

Concerning Venue Associations

Pilsen Community Books has previously made troubling associations that warrant scrutiny. The bookstore co-sponsored a panel at a Socialism Conference that included Ramzy Baroud, editor of the U.S. 501(c)(3) non-profit The Palestine Chronicle. Baroud faces a lawsuit related to former Israeli hostages held by one of the outlet's Gaza employees after the October 7, 2023 attacks.

Pilsen Community Books co-sponsored a panel featuring Ramzy Baroud (middle). Credit: Counter Punch Media on Instagram

Baroud celebrated the Hamas massacre on social media and has shared images glorifying PFLP terrorists on his personal Facebook. He serves as a senior fellow at the Turkish Center for Islam and Global Affairs, led by Sami Al-Arian, who was previously convicted for financing Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), a U.S.-designated terror group.

Baroud posted numerous images on his Facebook page celebrating the U.S.-designated terror group the PFLP. Credit: Free Beacon

Additionally, Pilsen Community Books has held book club sessions for Ghassan Kanafani's book "The Revolution of 1936-1939 in Palestine" and an essay reflecting on Kanafani's “life and teachings.”

Reading group at Pilsen Community Books, hosted by PYM, to read a book authored by a former PFLP spokesman. Credit: Pilsen Community Books on Instagram

Kanafani was a spokesman, founder, and chief propagandist for the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), a U.S.-designated terror group. As a key member of the PFLP's political leadership, editor-in-chief of its Al-Hadf magazine, and right-hand man to founder George Habash, Kanafani shaped the group’s ideology through his Marxist essays, which justified terrorism as a form of “armed struggle.”

Palestinian Youth Movement: Terror Ties and October 7th Support

According to K12 Extremism Tracker's research, the Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM) describes itself as "A transnational, independent, grassroots movement of Palestinian & Arab youth struggling for the liberation of our homeland."

The organization is funded by the WESPAC (Westchester People's Action Coalition) Foundation, known for funding radical leftist and pro-Palestinian groups including National Students for Justice in Palestine, Adalah-NY, and the US Palestinian Community Network.

Most troubling, according to K12 Extremism Tracker's findings, PYM expressed explicit support for Hamas' terrorist attack on October 7th, 2023, and organized an anti-Israel protest on October 8th, 2023 - just one day after the massacre of Israeli civilians.

The report documents that the organization maintains alleged ties to the PFLP. These connections include collaborating on events with Samidoun, a U.S.-designated terror entity linked to PFLP; frequent statements supporting PFLP members; photographs taken with PFLP members; and a scholarship fund named after a PFLP member.

“Nakba” event co-sponsored by PYM and U.S.-designated terror group Samidoun. Credit: Samidoun

US Palestinian Community Network: Praising "Unified Resistance"

The US Palestinian Community Network (USPCN), another endorser of the teach-in, describes itself as a "Palestinian and Arab community-based organization" founded in 2006. Its guiding principles explicitly endorse "the right of resistance against zionist occupation and colonization of all Palestinian and Arab lands."

K12 Extremism Tracker's research shows that USPCN's national chair, Hatem Abudayyeh, has a documented history of praising Palestinian terror groups. At a 2018 National Students for Justice in Palestine conference, he praised the "unified resistance" in Gaza—"resistance organizations" being a euphemism for terror groups—"that includes all of the resistance organizations, working together under a unified military command."

According to the report's findings, on October 7, 2023, while Hamas' massacre was ongoing, USPCN released a statement describing the terrorist attacks as "self-defense operations" and claiming Palestinians have "an internationally-recognized right to resist illegal military occupation."

Statement released by USPCN following Hamas' Oct 7 massacre, framing it as “unified Palestinian Resistance.” Credit: USPCN

K12 Extremism Tracker notes that USPCN maintains connections to the PFLP through Abudayyeh's reported involvement with Rasmea Odeh's defense committee. Odeh was a PFLP member imprisoned for her role in a terrorist attack that killed Israeli students before being deported from the United States. Furthermore, Odeh is also a co-founder of the organization.

Credit: USPCN on X

Antiwar Committee-Chicago: "Death to America" Chants

The Antiwar Committee-Chicago gained notoriety in 2024 when journalist Olivia Reingold reported on a conference of left-wing activists planning to disrupt the Democratic National Convention. During a "breakout session," a member of the Antiwar Committee led participants in chants of "Marg bar Israel" and "Marg bar America" - Persian phrases meaning "death to Israel, death to America."

Union and District Implications

While the August 4th teach-in is not an official Chicago Teachers Union event and will not take place on CTU property, K12 Extremism Tracker's report raises concerns about how CTU members were called to attend, which prompts questions regarding the union's oversight of member activities and potential conflicts with its educational mission.

According to the research, the involvement of public school teachers in events endorsed by organizations with documented ties to terror groups and explicit support for terrorist attacks against civilians represents a significant concern for district parents and administrators. The teach-in's stated goal of pressuring the union to divest from Israel through collaboration with extremist organizations further complicates the union's position.