PORTLAND, OR – The Freedom Foundation has filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of a Jewish public-school teacher in Oregon who claims the teacher’s union he is compelled to associate with, Portland Association of Teachers (PAT)— engages in ongoing antisemitic advocacy both in and outside the classroom.
The lawsuit also names Portland Public Schools (PPS) alleging the district has implemented anti-Israel curriculum into its schools, even at the elementary school level.
The teacher is identified anonymously as John Doe in the complaint.
“He remains anonymous because what happened to him was so horrifying and caused him so much PTSD that he doesn’t want to come out with his name,” said Freedom Foundation Litigation Counsel Shella Alcabes. “He’s scared of the kind of retribution he’s going to get.”
Alcabes told The Center Square, their client, a high school math teacher-opted out of paying union dues to PAT, but is still required to be represented by the association in collective bargaining negotiations with his employer.
“He worked for one school where he was bullied and harassed. He eventually was able to move to another school, but that doesn’t change that PAT still represents him,” said Alcabes. “They can spew all sorts of anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism and anti-Israel stuff, and then still, he’s forced to be associated with them, whether he likes it or not.”
The complaint alleges the Portland School District fosters a workplace where Jewish teachers feel threatened, silenced and isolated. “These educators didn’t sign up for politics or propaganda — they signed up to teach. Instead, Oregon law has bound them to an organization that violates their faith and their First Amendment rights,” wrote Freedom Foundation CEO Aaron Withe in a press release about the lawsuit.
Alcabes emailed The Center Square a number of exhibits included in the complaint demonstrating the anti-Israel curriculum educators are urged to teach including a lesson titled Teaching About Palestine for Pre-K through 2nd grade. “75 years ago, a lot of decision makers around the world decided to take away Palestinian land to make a country called Israel. Israel would be a country where rules were mostly fair for Jewish people with White skin. Do you know about any unfair rules where we live?” read the suggested curriculum.
The complaint also alleges pro-Palestinian symbols, including the Palestinian flag are displayed in school common areas, contributing to a politically charged atmosphere.
Meantime, Jewish students and staff at the University of Washington (UW) in Seattle are still reeling from recent anti-Israel attacks on campus.
As reported by The Center Square, Students United for Palestinian Equality and Return, or “Super UW,” broke into the Interdisciplinary Engineering Building in early May, “to demand the university cut ties with Boeing, a major employer of UW engineering graduates. Boeing donated $10 million toward construction of the engineering building and the protesters did more than a million dollars in damage to the building and equipment.”
Other incidents have followed this month with anti-Israeli activists spraying graffiti accusing the university of participating in a “genocide” and smashing out windows.
UW Professor Cliff Mass-who is Jewish-told The Center Square he was pleased UW administration expelled several students following the damage to the engineering building, but says they are not doing enough to quash an atmosphere that tolerates antisemitism on campus.
“There’s been a tolerance of these violent groups and individuals on campuses around the country, and when you almost encourage it, there’s going to be some extreme members of these groups who go beyond the pale, such as murder,” said Mass. He was referring to the incident in Washington, D.C. last week outside a Jewish museum in which a young couple was shot and killed. The suspect was captured on video during his arrest shouting, “Free Palestine.”
Mass said he and other Jewish staff members and students have not felt safe on campus since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel when 1,200 people were murdered.
“None of us feel safe, but what they [administration] can do is make it clear that this kind of activity will not be tolerated on the campus,” said Mass. “If that was going on with attacks on certain other groups, it wouldn’t be tolerated, and it shouldn’t be tolerated in this case.”
The Trump administration is reviewing the recent antisemitic violence on the UW campus.
The Center Square reached out to the Portland Association of Teachers for comment on the Freedom Foundation lawsuit, but did not receive a response in time for publication.
The full complaint can be found here.
