A high school student in the San Diego Unified School District has come forward with explosive claims that the district is forcing students to take a controversial “Ethnic Studies” class that focuses heavily on lessons about “white privilege” and “whiteness” — with no option for opting out.

The student, Jordan*, told IW Features that the Ethnic Studies class, which covers topics such as “unconscious white privilege” and “whiteness,” is mandatory for all students. In fact, when Jordan tried to change classes, he was informed that the course was required for graduation. 

“When I asked my counselor to change classes, I was told I could change, but I am required to complete the class for graduation. So, if I opted out now, I would still be required to take it later,” he said. 

Jordan, who comes from a mixed-race background, said he felt personally targeted by the content, which focuses heavily on race and privilege. 

“The whole unit focuses on ‘white privilege,’” he said, adding that the material made him feel discriminated against because it singled out white students. 

“I felt like I was being targeted as a person of lesser value than other people. I felt discriminated [against] and singled out.” 

Jordan’s mom shares her son’s concerns about the class.

”When my son came to me about concerns he was having with the material in class for the past two weeks, I thought it was a joke,” she told IW Features. “I was in disbelief that this was really being taught in school until my child showed me several examples of the lessons. How is this something my high school student is being forced into as a high school graduation requirement?”

The issue raises questions about the power of school districts to impose controversial educational content on students without providing an opportunity for parents and students to opt out. As Jordan’s mom put it,  “My son asked to be taken out of this class and was told it is a San Diego Unified School District requirement to graduate.”

Ethnic Studies and the Controversy Behind It

The district’s “white privilege” curriculum is part of a broader push for ethnic studies programs that, by 2030, all high school students in California will be required to complete in order to graduate. The requirement stems from state legislation, Assembly Bill No. 101, signed into law by Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2021, that says all public high schools must offer at least one ethnic studies course starting in the 2025-26 school year, and that all public high school students must complete at least one of these semester-long courses to graduate.

San Diego Unified rolled out its own Ethnic Studies curriculum well before this requirement was set to go into effect. The curriculum, which is used in more than 10 Ethnic Studies courses designed to help students meet this graduation requirement, includes a wide range of topics related to race, identity, and social justice. Unsurprisingly, many of these courses promote a very one-sided view of these issues—a view that critics, including Jordan’s family, say amounts to ideological indoctrination. 

In response to these developments, Julie Hamill, a California attorney specializing in educational law, particularly related to civil rights violations in schools, reviewed San Diego Unified School District’s curriculum material and believes that they may violate federal law under Title VI, which prohibits discrimination based on race, color, or national origin. Hamill also has offered to assist students and parents who feel their rights have been infringed upon by helping them file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR).

Is This the Future of Education?

This situation highlights the increasing politicization of education in California, where state mandates are pushing controversial, leftist ideologies onto students. As the debate heats up, the question remains: Should students be forced to take courses that focus heavily on race and privilege as a requirement for graduation? And more importantly, do parents and students have the right to challenge these mandates when they believe they conflict with their values and beliefs?

The answer, according to California families such as Jordan’s, is obvious. But it might just take a lawsuit to force state officials to agree.

*A pseudonym has been assigned to protect the storyteller’s privacy.