A group of parents has filed a lawsuit against the Palo Alto Unified School District and Palo Alto High School Principal Brent Kline in federal court, claiming that a field trip to a mosque constituted religious indoctrination. The lawsuit, filed on August 7 in the Northern District of California, pertains to a visit to the Muslim Community Association mosque in Santa Clara that took place in fall 2025. According to the complaint, students were encouraged to wear Islamic attire, received Qurans, and observed a prayer service during the trip.
The lawsuit includes ten individual plaintiffs and the advocacy group Community Members for Religious Neutrality in Public Schools — San Francisco Bay Area. Among the plaintiffs, eight are Jewish, while others are from Hindu and Zoroastrian backgrounds and do not have children enrolled at the school. The complaint alleges that the mosque is the only religious site visited by the program and claims that its website promotes school visits and local religious conversions.
The plaintiffs argue that the district failed to maintain religious neutrality and did not ensure equal treatment among different faiths. They also claim that the students were exposed to Zahra Billoo, the executive director of the San Francisco Bay Area chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), during the visit. The lawsuit describes Billoo as a controversial figure with documented hostile statements regarding Jews and alleges that she was allowed to speak to students without adequate supervision.
Billoo responded to the lawsuit, stating that it was misguided and that students learned about Islamic practices during the visit, which was voluntary. She emphasized the importance of learning about different cultures to combat hate.
The lawsuit also claims that students were photographed during the visit in a way that promoted Islamic customs, and that parents were not given proper consent regarding the use of these images. Superintendent Jason Glass stated that the district learned about the lawsuit through news reports and is reviewing its practices related to religious instruction. The plaintiffs are seeking a jury trial, an injunction against similar activities, removal of student images, nominal damages, and attorneys' fees.