Protest at LAUSD: Teachers refuse to be silenced on Palestine

“Free Palestine!” and “Stop the genocide!” chants rang out from the steps of the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) headquarters on Aug. 8. LAUSD employees, United Teachers of Los Angeles (UTLA) Human Rights Committee, Association of Raza Educators, Teachers for Justice in Palestine, Unión del Barrio, the Harriet Tubman Center for Social Justice, and other community-based organizations demanded an end to the harassment, intimidation and doxxing of teachers who teach their students about Palestine and the ongoing U.S.-funded Israeli genocide.

Teachers have been forced to switch schools to do their jobs. Ethnic Studies pioneer Dr. Theresa Montaña explained that ethnic studies is to “reveal what has not been taught about oppressed and marginalized people everywhere, including oppressed and marginalized people in Palestine. It is incumbent upon us, as critically conscious folks, to teach our children about that so that it never happens to a single human being ever again, anywhere. These teachers are heroes.”

David Feldman, a Jewish educator and chair of the UTLA Human Rights Committee, chaired the press conference/rally: “As teachers, it is our duty to stand up for children in our city and around the world. Schools are being bombed and children are being killed in Palestine. We demand that our tax dollars be used to fund schools, health care and housing; not to fund Israel who is commiting genocide in Palestine.”

Ron Gochez, a 20-year high school history teacher, has filed complaints to LAUSD about the threats he has faced, but there has been no response or protection from LAUSD. Gochez said, “The work we do is out of love for our students, community and humanity … we are being cyber-stalked, doxxed, and harassed, we are being attacked in different ways: at our school sites, during school time, at home and online at all times. They are publishing our work and home addresses. They think we are going to quit – we are not going to quit, we are organizing – we are building. We will continue to say, Long Live Palestine, End the Occupation and End the Genocide!”