February 11th, 2026 – The Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting and Analysis (CAMERA) has released a comprehensive report documenting the hostile environment for Jewish students and teachers in the School District of Philadelphia (SDP). Our in-depth investigation found that the hostile environment is the result of several factors, including SDP’s adoption of a social studies program with antisemitic teaching materials, a focus on the critical race theory model of dividing people into “oppressor” and “oppressed” categories, along with an anti-democratic and anti-capitalism curricula that disproportionally single out Israel and the United States for demonization.
Since October 7, 2023, Jewish students and parents have reported multiple incidents of antisemitism in the School District of Philadelphia. Much of the antisemitism in SDP emanates from its teachers who often use their classrooms to demonize and delegitimize Israel by not merely critiquing Western institutions and values such as democracy and capitalism but effectively calling for their dismantling and abolishment.
CAMERA launched its investigation of SDP in response to the reports and complaints of mounting antisemitism within SDP. CAMERA’s exhaustive investigation, that is detailed in a new 81-page report, provides comprehensive documentation of how antisemitic and anti-democratic ideologies have taken root in one of the country’s largest school systems.
The report, which is authored by Rebecca Schgallis, Director of CAMERA’s K-12 Program, traces the hostile environment for Jewish students to a fusion of three major interconnected ideological influences: Paulo Freire and the oppressor-oppressed binary, Malcolm X’s theory of racial capitalism, and the district’s highly politicized post-George Floyd “antiracism” based, at least in part on a perception of the United States as being irredeemably racist and incorporating a goal of dismantling perceived systems of power and privilege.
CAMERA’s report includes evidence of:
- Toxic ideology at the top: Superintendent Tony Watlington’s October 12, 2023, statement on the recent Hamas massacre contextualized rather than condemned the attacks and included resources describing it as connected to “imperialism and other oppressive systems.”
- Radical district-wide curriculum: SDP lesson plans from Rethinking Schools and the Zinn Education Project disproportionately focus on Israel and the United States, teaching students that these two countries are “terrorist states,” while omitting terrorist organizations such as Hamas and al-Qaeda.
- Undue influence on SDP curricula and programs by external toxic activists and organizations. For example, SDP emails show collaboration with the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) — whose leaders publicly praised the October 7 attacks — to shape “equity” initiatives and classroom guidance.
- Growing hostile climate for Jewish students and families: A teacher who threatened or vilified Jewish parents has returned to the classroom, while Jewish students continue to face harassment.
CAMERA’s report condemns SDP for its institutionalized ideological framework that legitimizes radical narratives aimed at fostering hostility towards Jewish students and teachers and undermining and delegitimizing not only Israel but also the United States.
It also concludes that the SDP’s ideological agenda and its harmful policies and programs “should serve as a warning to communities nationwide. Traditional antisemitism training and Holocaust education alone are insufficient to confront the deep-seated ideological corrosion taking hold in too many school districts across the country.”
CAMERA urges state and federal Title VI investigations, independent curriculum review, restoration of rigorous academic standards, strenuous advocacy by communities and organizations, and active opposition to the types of ideologically driven curricula and influences that have taken root in the School District of Philadelphia.
The parents of a Jewish student enrolled in the SDP told CAMERA: “The School District has shown utter disregard for Jewish families by allowing its educators to turn classrooms into platforms for political hate.
“Teachers and administrators — most visibly Ismael Jimenez, the District’s own Director of Social Studies — have used their positions to spread antisemitic and anti-Israel rhetoric under the guise of ‘truth-telling.’
“Instead of enforcing its own policies or protecting Jewish students and teachers, the District has looked away, ignored complaints, and dismissed a federal Title VI finding that confirmed a hostile environment for the Jewish community within its schools. This is not an oversight—it is a deliberate failure of leadership and accountability.”
Rebecca Schgallis, Director of CAMERA Education’s K-12 Program, said: “The report serves as a warning to communities nationwide: effectively combating antisemitism in K-12 schools requires confronting the underlying ideology that promotes anti-American and anti-Israel sentiment under the banner of social justice.”
Kurt Schwartz, CEO of CAMERA, said: “The School District of Philadelphia has institutionalized an ideological framework that effectively calls for dismantling Western institutions and values. By reframing history as an exercise in grievance while omitting key historical facts and context, the District is training a generation to view the United States, Israel, and the Jewish people through the lens of ‘settler-colonial’ oppression. We are calling for immediate state and federal Title VI investigations to address the systemic failures and protect Jewish students.”
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The full CAMERA Education Institute report can be read here.
Media inquiries may be directed to Georgia L. Gilholy at [email protected] or (+44) 7495 545174
What is CAMERA?
Founded in 1982 to monitor print media for anti-Israel bias, CAMERA has broadened its mission over the past 40 years to meet evolving threats and challenges. CAMERA remains a leader in exposing and countering anti-Israel narratives and falsehoods in legacy media and has expanded its focus to social media and other digital platforms. CAMERA also tackles antisemitism in K-12 education, helps pro-Israel students on college campuses confront anti-Zionism, and challenges anti-Israel campaigns targeting Evangelical Christian churches and communities. CAMERA’s mission and work in support of Israel have never been more important.
For further information on the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting and Analysis, visit camera.org