Jewish teacher's discrimination lawsuit against Portland schools and union recommended for dismissal

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Jewish Teacher Sues Portland Public Schools and Union Over Alleged Anti-Israel Discrimination

Publication date: 2026-07-24 12:01:35

A federal magistrate judge has released a Report and Recommendation detailing allegations from a Jewish teacher who claims his school district and teachers' union fostered a hostile, discriminatory environment due to his support for Israel.

The case, Doe v. Portland Ass'n of Teachers, was reviewed by Magistrate Judge Jeff Armistead. Below is a summary of the key allegations made by the plaintiff, identified as "Doe."

Background on the Plaintiff

• Doe was born in Israel and considers the State of Israel essential to his Jewish religious faith and ethnic heritage.
• He immigrated to the United States but maintains close ties to Israel and his family there.
• During the 2023-24 school year, Doe worked as a high school math teacher for Portland Public Schools (PPS).
• He chose not to become a dues-paying member of the Portland Association of Teachers (PAT), citing his First Amendment right not to support union political speech.
• Despite this, PAT remains his exclusive representative under Oregon's Public Employee Collective Bargaining Act (PECBA) and the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) with PPS.

Allegations of Discrimination

Doe alleges that PAT, in collaboration with Oregon Educators for Palestine (OEP), engaged in a pattern of conduct that created a hostile work environment. The allegations are broken down into four categories:

1. Curricula

• PAT and OEP co-published a guide titled "Teach Palestine!"
• The guide encourages teachers to promote anti-Israel views in the classroom and includes detailed curricula recommendations from pre-K through high school.
• Recommended resources include:
• "Teaching While Muslim," which states: "75 years ago, a lot of decision makers around the world decided to take away Palestinian land to make a country called Israel. Israel would be a country where rules were mostly fair for Jewish people with White skin."
• "Let's Go to Palestine," which states: "Palestine is currently under a brutal occupation by Israel. We pray for a truly free Palestine so that the Palestinians can prosper and we can all visit freely."
• "Handala's Return," which states: "A group of bullies called Zionists wanted our land so they stole it by force and hurt many people."
• PAT and OEP also co-published a "Know Your Rights!" guide, which references CBA provisions that allegedly protect teachers who teach anti-Israel views.

2. Displays

• With PAT's encouragement, teachers at Doe's school wore clothing with pro-Palestine messages, such as "Free Palestine" and "From the River to the Sea."
• School administration allowed the posting of Palestinian flags, maps of Palestine that eliminate Israel, and other symbols in common spaces, including hallways, the library, and shared classrooms.
• Doe alleges the placement was intentional, designed to appear as an expression of the entire school community rather than individual staff members.

3. Prayer

• A teacher led an on-campus morning meeting designated as a "prayer circle" to support Palestine.

4. Organizing and Political Activities

• PAT collaborates with OEP on publications and social media.
• OEP promoted "Nakba Day" on social media, calling on educators to wear kufiyas, pins, and shirts reading "From the River to the Sea, Palestine Will Be Free."
• PAT announced a "students for peace" walkout on March 15, 2024, with a rally at PAT headquarters that included anti-Israel expression.
• PAT endorsed candidates described as vocally anti-Israel and pro-Palestine, including Raschelle Chase-Miller and Jorge Sanchez Bautista.
• On May 28, 2024, PAT held informational sessions for teachers to learn about their rights to "teach and advocate for Palestine within Portland Public Schools."

5. PAT Member Conduct

• Doe alleges that PAT members and representatives took coordinated, politically charged actions while knowing or disregarding the effect on Jewish staff members like himself.

This report is based on the original filing and the magistrate judge's summary of the plaintiff's allegations.