Palestinian teen sues school over ‘terrorists’ remark

A 16-year-old Palestinian-American student has taken legal action against a school district in California, alleging discrimination after a teacher made a remark about terrorism during a discussion about his admission to an advanced English course, the New York Post reported.

The incident dates back to February 2025, when Yousef Abdullah was a 14-year-old student at Cypress High School. He had approached his English teacher after he was not selected for the Advanced Placement (AP) English programme.

During the exchange, the teacher allegedly told him: “I don’t negotiate with terrorists, that is people under the age of 18.”

Abdullah later sought help from other school staff, but his concerns were allegedly dismissed. His lawsuit claims a school counsellor repeated the statement and described it as a joke from a film. An assistant principal also reportedly told him that the expression was simply a phrase and had not been directed at him.

The student’s parents subsequently complained to the Anaheim Union High School District, prompting an investigation. In a March 2025 letter to the family, Human Resources Director Amie Maya said the inquiry had found evidence of a derogatory comment that violated the district’s policy on abusive language towards students.

The district said the matter would be handled through its confidential personnel process. However, Abdullah’s attorney, Samer Habbas, said no meaningful disciplinary action followed.

The lawsuit also alleges that school employees disclosed Abdullah’s attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) diagnosis to classmates. The complaint says other students subsequently mocked him using the term “SpEd”, referring to special education.

According to the legal filing, the alleged incidents affected the teenager’s confidence and social life. He became uncomfortable expressing his Palestinian and Muslim identity and reportedly tried to avoid growing facial hair or appearing in public with his parents.

Abdullah has since transferred to another high school in Orange County.

“When you’re calling a Palestinian child of Muslim descent a terrorist … it is completely inappropriate, it dehumanises a kid,” Habbas told The Orange County Register.

The case is before Orange County Superior Court Judge Kimberly A. Knill, who rejected the school district’s request to have the lawsuit dismissed.

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