"Cultural Marxism": Texas Senator Ted Cruz Roasts Department of Education After Anti-Israel Move from Teachers' Union

Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz slams the Department of Education with a letter addressing concerns about a “teach-in” led by a faction of Pro-Palestine teachers within the Oakland Unified School District. 

Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz hit the Department of Education with a letter stating his concerns over a “teach-in” conducted by a California teachers’ union faction known for their pro-Palestine stance.

In a letter sent early January, Cruz addressed both the U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona and State Superintendent of Public Instruction of California Tony Thurmond regarding an unauthorized “teach-in” that was set up by a group within the Oakland Unified School District (OUSD). The Texas Republican senator called out the event in early December 2023 which “showcased pervasive anti-Israel hatred,” highlighting that the district “receives tens of millions of dollars in federal aid annually.”

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“I write to you to express my deep concern regarding the December 6, 2023 “teach-in” conducted by at least seventy K-12 public school teachers in Oakland, California. As you are undoubtedly aware, this unauthorized effort to disseminate “educational resources on Palestine” was organized by an activist faction within the Oakland Education Association Teachers’ Union and the event showcased pervasive anti-Israel hatred,” Cruz stated. 

“Given that the Oakland Unified School District receives tens of millions of dollars in federal aid annually, this activity raises serious questions regarding the prudent use of federal taxpayer resources.”

Only two months following the Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attack on Israel, at least several teacher in the OUSD led a “teach-in” on Dec. 6, in which they highlighted pro-Palestine stories through guest host speakers, in-class discussions, and additional lessons within their classrooms, according to ABC News. Following a release of guidelines and resources for OUSD officials, a faction of the teachers union had felt that what was given was not enough for Palestinians, the outlet reported. 

Prior to the “teach-in” a YouTube video had gone out to educators, arguing that they must provide “counternarratives” to students, according to KRCR. The video continued to argue that they shouldn’t accept the dominant “narrative” pushed by the U.S. which argued for “the human suffering of others as a forgone conclusion,” the outlet reported. 

"If you're a teacher, you're not a factory worker," an educator in the video stated. "You actually have a unique way to apply your labor power to show solidarity with the Palestinian people."

Oakland educators had previously been in hot water shortly following the attack on Israel after issuing a demand for a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel, according to The National Desk. The Oakland Education Association (OEA) had released a statement at the end of October 2023, demanding “an end to the occupation of Palestine” in addition to a ceasefire. 

However, the association later retracted the remarks on the issue following a push back from Jewish parents within the California city after they expressed their new fear for their children’s safety, KRCR reported. 

Violence against Jewish students across the U.S. has increased dramatically since the attack on Israel, with 73% of Jewish students on college campuses now experiencing or have witnessed anti semitic acts, according to a poll released by the Anti-Defamation League. 

“It’s difficult to imagine a more reckless message to send to K-12ers in the aftermath of the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust than this seething anti-Israel propaganda. During a time when American Jews and Israelis are being subjected to an incredible amount of harassment and hate crimes, it’s profoundly irresponsible to tolerate such blatant anti-Israel indoctrination,” Cruz stated in his press release.

“By allowing impressionable K-12 students to be subjected to a one-sided activist-driven narrative downplaying the depravity of Hamas’s terrorism and tacitly endorsing antisemitism, you are complicit in endangering lives.”