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Parents, alumni and students urge Clayton schools to pause ADL curriculum over reporting, political concerns
Summary
Three public commenters asked the Clayton Board of Education to pause implementation of the Anti-Defamation League's 'No Place for Hate' curriculum, citing reporting measures, lobbying activity, and potential chilling effects on immigrant, Black and Brown students; speakers suggested alternative vendors and a transparent review process.
Three members of the Clayton community urged the school board on Monday to pause the district’s partnership with the Anti-Defamation League and delay adopting ADL curriculum across local schools.
“My concern is that ... the ADL's presence will have a chilling effect for immigrant students and families,” said Jessica Jankosy, who testified that students and parents fear reporting mechanisms tied to ADL materials could expose families to immigration enforcement. Jankosy asked the board to “put a pause on the implementation of the ADL curriculum” and to consult students, families and teachers about alternatives.
Frances Perez, a Clayton parent and member of the Equity Commission, called the ADL curriculum “milk-toast” and criticized the organization’s broader record, saying it has been accused of doxxing activists and of training police with militaristic crowd-control techniques. “We cannot let the ADL's snitch principle become our culture,” Perez said, urging the district to convene a committee of students, alumni, teachers, parents and community members to select an anti-bias vendor.
Jolina Pang, a Clayton graduate and K–12 environmental education professional, said her objection is not to confronting antisemitism but to assigning a politically active lobbying organization that “spent about $1,400,000 lobbying Congress” in 2024 to shape classroom definitions of bias. Pang recommended programs with independent evaluations — Facing History and Ourselves, Parseo, the News Literacy Project and Checkology — and asked the board to “pause the planned expansion of No Place for Hate at Wyedown and Clayton High School” pending a transparent review and adoption of clear, public criteria for outside partners.
The board did not respond to speakers during the public comment period; Superintendent Dr. Patel told the public earlier that the district will follow up individually and that staff will respond to public comments at a later time.
Why this matters: Commenters framed their requests as both a student-safety concern and an issue of public accountability — asking the board to weigh curriculum benefits against potential legal and immigration risks for vulnerable students and to use a transparent selection process for outside vendors.
What the board said: The board accepted the public comments for later response; no vote or formal action on the ADL partnership occurred during the meeting.
