This is an ongoing article and will be updated as new information is released.
The District has reached a settlement in Concerned Jewish Parents of Sequoia Union High School District, et al. v. Sequoia Union High School District, et al., a federal lawsuit filed by six Jewish families alleging antisemitism.
In an email sent to District staff Tuesday morning, Superintendent Crystal Leach explained that the District will add a “review process” for Israel-Palestine lesson material, update curriculum, expand staff training, and improve its procedure for addressing discrimination complaints.
The suit stemmed from a presentation on the Israel-Palestine conflict delivered in some Ethnic Studies classes in September 2023. Community members responded with a petition urging Leach to act on alleged discrimination, claiming the lesson was inaccurate, biased, and fostered antisemitism. This, combined with antisemitic remarks and swastika drawings at Woodside High School and M-A, led the six families to sue the District in November 2024, with an initial trial date set for Aug. 24, 2026.
The Plaintiffs alleged that the District violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination in programs that receive federal funding, such as public schools. According to the lawsuit, “Plaintiffs’ children suffered harassment so severe, pervasive, and offensive that it effectively deprived them of the right of equal access to educational benefits and opportunities.”
The Plaintiffs also claimed that the District violated the First and 14th Amendments, which grant citizens freedom of belief and religion and provide equal protection against discrimination. Violating these amendments also breaks provisions of the California Constitution and the California Education Code.
Some teachers were confused by the District’s policy changes. “I’m not sure what [the review process] would entail. [Do] I have to send in my lessons months in advance?” an anonymous M-A teacher said. “I think I need more guidance around what this is.”
Additionally, the District sent an announcement via ParentSquare that emphasized its commitment to zero tolerance for discrimination and mentioned an upcoming revision to District policy that will specifically include antisemitism as “a prohibited form of discrimination” to “strengthen protections for all students and staff.” The announcement did not directly mention the lawsuit or settlement.
The District has not admitted wrongdoing in its announcements and declined to comment.
