AhlulBayt News Agency: A Philadelphia public school teacher has filed a federal lawsuit against the School District of Philadelphia, alleging discrimination based on her Muslim faith and retaliation for expressing pro-Palestinian views.
Keziah Ridgeway, a Black Muslim educator who previously taught at Northeast High School, claims she endured years of harassment due to her religion and political beliefs. The lawsuit was filed on Tuesday, as reported by Philly Voice on Thursday.
According to the lawsuit, Ridgeway was placed on administrative leave for eight months after what she describes as a smear campaign orchestrated by pro-Israel teachers and community members.
She alleges that this group sent thousands of emails to school officials, City Council members, and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, accusing her of antisemitism and demanding her dismissal. The lawsuit argues that these efforts led to a school district investigation, resulting in her unpaid suspension and eventual reassignment.
Ridgeway had previously taught African American history and social studies for several years, receiving multiple teaching awards without facing disciplinary issues.
Tensions allegedly escalated in 2023, when she supported a student-led fundraiser that featured "Free Palestine" and "Sudan in Our Hearts" buttons. The fundraiser was an alternative agreed upon after students were barred from wearing keffiyehs.
That same year, Ridgeway had planned to lead a district-approved professional development session focused on teaching the genocide in Palestine, but the session was later canceled.
The lawsuit also names a group called the School District of Philadelphia Jewish Family Association, which Ridgeway claims monitored her social media activity and shared confidential student information. The group allegedly tracked her posts criticizing Israeli actions in Gaza.
Controversy intensified when Ridgeway selected a student’s project on Palestine for a Black History Month presentation. The assignment involved comparing global protest art with that of enslaved Black Americans, but colleagues urged her to shift focus to figures like Martin Luther King Jr. and Harriet Tubman instead.
The lawsuit further alleges that Ridgeway received death threats after being doxxed online, and that prior reports of Islamophobic and racist incidents at the school went unaddressed.
She is seeking damages for emotional distress, citing violations of her constitutional and whistleblower rights.
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