Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Civil Rights Education topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Parents tell Bonita Unified board a history lesson at Bonita High was biased and excluded Jewish student
Summary
Multiple parents and community members told the board that a Bonita High AP U.S. history teacher presented a one-sided lecture on the Israel-Gaza conflict, shared an Al Jazeera post without balance and suggested a Jewish student "move to another class," calling the conduct discriminatory and requesting training and investigation under district policy and Title VI.
Several parents and community members urged the Bonita Unified School District Board on Wednesday to investigate an incident at Bonita High they say reflected biased classroom instruction and created a hostile environment for Jewish students.
Mary Anne Yang, who identified herself as a concerned parent, said her daughter was in a U.S. history class where the teacher presented what she described as a "biased one-sided lecture" on the Israel-Gaza conflict, shared an Al Jazeera post and did not present the October 7 attacks, the hostages still held by Hamas, or other perspectives. Yang said that when her daughter questioned the presentation, the teacher "suggested it is best that she move to another class," which Yang called discrimination and a potential Title VI violation.
Dr. Sharon Stein told the board she was "not a medical doctor" but a community member concerned about the same classroom incident. She said the teacher's approach "took the point of view of one side" and labeled the source used as propaganda. Jacob Hayari and Philip Costas, both parents, asked the district to require professional development for staff on antisemitism and bias, to review curriculum for factual balance and to take corrective steps to ensure students are not excluded because of their identity. Costas, a long-time educator, framed the issue as a breach of district policy and of federal civil-rights protections.
Speakers asked whether the lecture was part of an approved curriculum and whether the board had reviewed or approved the materials. They requested mandatory training resources (references were offered, including K-12 Fairness Center materials and other tolerance organizations), review of history instruction for balance and factual accuracy, and corrective action regarding the teacher's conduct. The board did not announce a formal investigation or disciplinary action at the meeting; trustees thanked speakers for their comments and said staff would follow up.
The parents' complaints reference Board Policy 6144 (instructional balance) and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act as the legal framework they believe was violated. The district did not provide a direct response in open session about personnel actions; the board typically must follow confidentiality rules concerning personnel matters.
