Spencer Hill
PHILADELPHIA - A Black, Muslim teacher is suing the School District of Philadelphia, alleging it punished her for speaking her mind on the Israel-Palestine conflict.
Keziah Ridgeway filed suit against the district May 13 in Philadelphia federal court. She claims despite several awards for her work teaching AP African American History, World History and Social and Cultural Anthropology, she was put on paid leave this past September.
At Northeast High School, she supported a club made up of Palestinian and Sudanese students, helping them gain approval for wearing buttons that read "Free Palestine" and "Sudan In Our Hearts."
They were also allowed to sell the buttons to raise funds. But Ridgeway says not everyone was happy with this arrangement, and pro-Israel staff objected despite being permitted to wear buttons with their own political messages.
In November 2023, she tried to take advantage of a professional development teaching opportunity on how to "teach the genocide in Palestine in the classroom," the suit says.
Again, pro-Israel staff complained, wanting the word "genocide" removed. She agreed, but the school district still cancelled the PD. She then claims she was labeled a "terrorist" by a retired teacher at a meeting of NEHS alumni.
The School District of Philadelphia Jewish Families Alliance was then created on social media in December 2023, and on its page she was called antisemitic, the suit says. Ridgeway and colleagues formed Racial Justice Organizing to create a PD presentation on how to teach the Gaza conflict.
"Upon the announcement of Racial Justice Organizing's professional development presentation, JFA began a campaign to defame Ridgeway," the suit says.
"JFA sent mass emails to Gov. (Josh) Shapiro, Philadelphia City Council, the district and others accusing Ridgeway of antisemitism an demanding she be fired. JFA partnered with the Anti-Defamation League to stop the presentation."
Shapiro is Jewish and was the subject of an arson attack earlier this year at the governor’s residence.
JFA monitored her pro-Palestine posts on her personal social media account, the suit says. In December 2023, she organized a project to compare a modern-day oppression with Black history, which was poorly received by pro-Israel teachers, she says.
A recording of the presentation was censored, she says, causing her to complain at a public hearing in spring 2024. Friction continued with JFA, and she posted on its page "ain't no fun when the rabbit has the gun... part two is about to drop."
A complaint publicized in the Philadelphia Inquirer alleged that post threatened gun violence, though Ridgeway contends "part two" was exposing who was behind the attack on her. Ridgeway was placed on unpaid leave in September for five days, then paid leave pending investigation..
"The district imposed this punishment to dissuade Ridgeway from exposing the district's JFA affiliations, harassment, the discrimination of Muslims and minorities and to suppress Ridgeway's pro-Palestine speech," the suit says.
"The Mayor of Philadelphia also contacted Ridgeway and forced her to resign from her position on the City of Philadelphia's Muslim Engagement Commission."
Spencer Hill represents Ridgeway.
