Parents Sue Palo Alto School District Over Mosque Field Trip

On August 7, ten parents and the advocacy group Community Members for Religious Neutrality in Public Schools — San Francisco Bay Area filed a federal suit in the Northern District of California against the Palo Alto Unified School District and Brent Kline, principal of Palo Alto High School. The complaint contends that a “Social Justice Pathway” class field trip to the Muslim Community Association mosque in Santa Clara during the fall 2025 semester violated the Establishment Clause by turning a public-school activity into religious indoctrination.

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The three-year “Social Justice Pathway” track, open to Palo Alto High sophomores and up, organized the visit, which the filing says was the only house of worship the program visited. Plaintiffs allege that students were encouraged to wear Islamic attire, were given Qur’ans to take home, and observed a midday prayer service. Photographs taken inside the mosque while students wore the attire were later posted for promotional purposes. The complaint asserts that parents were not provided meaningful informed consent for the photography nor a clear opt-out mechanism.

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Zahra Billoo, executive director of the San Francisco Bay Area chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), described the lawsuit as “misguided,” emphasizing that participation was voluntary and that learning about Islamic practices helps combat hate. Superintendent Jason Glass told the *San Francisco Chronicle* that the district learned of the suit through news coverage, had not been served with the complaint, and could not verify the allegations. Glass added that any instruction touching religion must remain academic rather than devotional and that the district is reviewing its practices.

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The plaintiffs seek a jury trial, declaratory relief, an injunction barring similar future activities, removal of the student images to the extent possible, nominal damages, and attorneys’ fees. If successful, the case could set precedent for how public-school programs address religious sites and the level of parental consent required for religious-related field trips.

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