The San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) is reportedly facing legal issues regarding a mandatory “ethnic studies” course. Critics argue this course includes extremist views and negative messages aimed at Jewish and Asian Americans, suggesting that its content was not disclosed to parents in a proper manner.
A lawsuit from the Friends of Lowell Foundation claims that SFUSD officials pushed through a two-semester course called “Voices” during a school board meeting on April 28 without prior notification to parents.
The legal complaint lodged in San Francisco Superior Court also states that the district redirected special funds intended for art and music programs to pay for a $7.3 million revamp of history and social studies curricula, including the contentious ethnic studies course.
Despite its ongoing budget issues and a deficit exceeding $25 million, SFUSD reportedly allocated at least $400,000 for consultants promoting lessons about defunding police and the critique of capitalism.
Frank Chan, executive director of the Friends of Lowell Foundation, voiced that there hasn’t been adequate scrutiny of the curriculum. He expressed concern that SFUSD has not addressed its historical discrimination against Asian Americans.
Critics assert this course promotes a far-left agenda regarding anti-capitalism and oppression. Plus, it doesn’t count toward University of California credits, potentially obligating students to take identity-focused classes rather than electives that may aid in college admissions.
The “Identity Wheel,” a feature in the textbook, prompts students to categorize each other based on various identity markers, including race and wealth. One section discussing “whiteness” controversially claims that Jews and Asian Americans now fit into that category due to their social ranking.
The SFUSD is about one-third Asian American, based on available public data.
The lawsuit highlights that the district concealed the locally developed ethnic studies curriculum from parents, offering it under dubious circumstances and retracting it after facing considerable backlash, especially regarding content portraying Mao Zedong’s Red Guards as a “social movement.”
Eugene Lee of the Friends of Lowell Foundation questioned the district’s capability in selecting a suitable curriculum. He cited previous undisclosed details about the homegrown course, which he claimed neither board-approved nor publicized.
The course allegedly presented radical ideas, such as redefining U.S. boundaries and framing discussions in ways that may not have encouraged critical thought among 14-year-olds.
The lawsuit points out that “Voices” was slotted into the agenda of the school board meeting swiftly, leaving parents largely unaware and restricting them from viewing course materials outside of a physical setting.
While the textbook aims to equip students with tools to analyze race and ethnicity in the U.S., one school board member, Supriya Ray, raised concerns during the April meeting. She expressed discomfort with ninth graders engaging in political topics without sufficient grounding in world or U.S. history.
Superintendent Maria Hsu defended the course when queried by legislators, asserting that it underwent a detailed evaluation process.
The lawsuit seeks to annul the school board’s adoption of the ethnic studies curriculum.
