Over 120 California Muslim Orgs Call on Governor Newsom to Veto Classroom Censorship Bill

More than 120 mosques, Islamic centers, and Muslim community organizations across California have urged Governor Gavin Newsom to veto Assembly Bill 715, warning that the legislation would restrict free speech and censor classroom discussions on global human rights issues, particularly Palestine.

In a joint letter submitted this week, the organizations argued that the bill’s “vague and sweeping mandates” risk silencing marginalized voices, including Muslim, Arab, Palestinian, and Jewish students. They said AB 715 could criminalize honest discussions on world conflicts and erase the lived experiences of students whose communities are directly impacted.

While acknowledging the importance of addressing antisemitism in schools, the signatories said the bill’s narrow approach “trades facts-based education for censorship and erasure.” They warned that students would be denied the ability to “speak freely, ask difficult questions, and see their histories accurately represented.”

The groups further cautioned that the proposed law would create a chilling effect on educators, who may fear disciplinary action for engaging in open classroom dialogue about sensitive global topics, including the ongoing genocide in Gaza.

The letter framed the issue as one of academic freedom and student rights, calling on Governor Newsom to uphold California’s commitment to inclusive education. “We cannot allow censorship to masquerade as safety,” the statement read.

AB 715 has drawn sharp criticism from advocacy groups and community leaders who argue that its provisions undermine the very goals of diversity and equity promoted in California’s education system. The governor has not yet indicated whether he will sign or veto the legislation.

If you value our journalism…

TMJ News is committed to remaining an independent, reader-funded news platform. A small donation from our valuable readers like you keeps us running so that we can keep our reporting open to all! We’ve launched a fundraising campaign to raise the $10,000 we need to meet our publishing costs this year, and it’d mean the world to us if you’d make a monthly or one-time donation to help. If you value what we publish and agree that our world needs alternative voices like ours in the media, please give what you can today.