A teacher at Portland Public Schools in Oregon has filed a lawsuit against the district and the teachers union for alleged discrimination due to his religion and Israeli heritage, the Center Square reports.
The suit, filed Monday in federal court in Portland by lawyers from the Freedom Foundation, a conservative think tank founded in Washington state, says the math teacher, who is Jewish, was exposed to a hostile environment, including a set of pro-Palestinian teaching guides that the union published last year.
The Portland school district, it says, failed to intervene when the guides, which included anti-Israel content that taught that "Jews who hold a traditional view of their religion are racist, bullies," and that the union, the Portland Association of Teachers, also hosted "anti-Israel events" and some of its representatives "displayed anti-Israel message and symbols while teaching," were disbursed.
The district, it adds, also allowed Palestinian flags, symbols, and slogans to be posted in the plaintiff's school despite his complaints. He says they also refused to allow him to display an Israeli flag or pro-Israeli symbols.
"Plaintiff does not object to sharing a building or working closely with colleagues who disagree with his position and beliefs as long as the environment is neutral, fair and safe, and allows for expression of his opinions and beliefs as well," the lawsuit states.
The teacher is alleging that his First Amendment rights to freedom of speech and religion were violated.
The lawsuit describes the plaintiff as "John Doe," citing fear for his safety.
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.