Philadelphia School District Nabs Reprieve in Teacher Bias Case

The school district serving Philadelphia defeated for now a Black Muslim teacher’s lawsuit alleging its reaction to her advocacy for Palestine violated her constitutional rights.

The teacher didn’t sufficiently allege that the School District of Philadelphia had a policy or custom of discriminating based on race or religion, the US District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania said. She also failed to link any district policy or custom to the alleged violations of the US Constitution’s free speech, due process, and equal protection guarantees, the Tuesday opinion said.

Plaintiff Keziah Ridgeway taught at Philadelphia’s Northeast High School. She ...