DOJ Threatens to Pull California School Funding Over ‘Woke’ Indoctrination

Paul Riverbank, 2/9/2026Federal officials warn California schools to curb political and ideological indoctrination or risk losing funding, spotlighting rising extremism and hate incidents. The debate raises urgent questions about classroom influence, free speech, and the boundaries of public education in an increasingly polarized society.

At the center of this intensifying debate stands Harmeet Dhillon, now the assistant attorney general at the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. Her words, delivered in a tone that suggested both warning and finality, left no room for ambiguity. Referencing an incident where a student was reportedly hurt amidst an anti-ICE protest, Dhillon made her position plain: “There was a child injured in California during an anti-ICE protest, so there is political indoctrination going on at these schools as well.” It caught many administrators off guard.

Public schools don’t function in a vacuum; federal dollars keep the lights on and programs afloat. The directive from Dhillon is unmistakable—cross the line, and you might find those dollars drying up. Notably, she delimited her focus. The controversy here isn’t about which students end up in gifted classrooms. Rather, the federal concern pinpoints what Dhillon called “racial, religious or anti-religious indoctrination.” With recent surges in both racism and antisemitism, particularly across California’s K-12 corridors, scrutiny is mounting.

The episode in San Jose still echoes. Students at a high school—some barely old enough to remember the details of World War II—linked arms, forming a human swastika on their school’s football field. Their gesture was accompanied by a Hitler quote, chilling parents and educators alike. School leaders responded, not with expulsions or police referrals, but with something termed “restorative justice.” Details remain murky—those following the aftermath can’t get a straight answer on what consequences, if any, followed.

Elsewhere, tensions spill into school board meetings. In Temecula Valley, parents demanded answers after reports surfaced that bathrooms and locker rooms were now accessible by students of all genders. Privacy for children was suddenly a matter for heated public debate. The board eventually offered parents the option to request privacy accommodations, but not before emotions boiled over. “You’ve opened the door to unlimited scenarios where boys can start going into the bathrooms and touching girls,” said one parent, her voice raw with anxiety.

Since Dhillon stepped into her role in April, her priorities have been clear. Investigations into nearly a hundred universities are already underway—probing charges from racial bias to claims of silencing conservative voices. Within days of taking the reins, she fired off more than 70 warning letters to higher education leaders, signaling a dramatic increase in federal scrutiny.

Universities are not exempt. The federal government recently threw its weight behind a lawsuit against UCLA’s renowned medical school. Plaintiffs argue the admissions process unfairly favors Black and Hispanic applicants, even when white and Asian candidates predominate in the pool. “I want to eliminate race-based discrimination in America,” Dhillon said publicly, summing up her agenda in plain terms.

What’s happening in the classroom goes beyond reading lists and history lessons, critics say. Activist organizations, some with names like Turtle Island Liberation Front, have begun weaving new narratives into lesson plans. Materials promote an understanding of America as founded on “stolen land.” Projects such as Teach Palestine push students to draw parallels between Native American and Palestinian experiences—casting the U.S. and Israel alike as colonial states.

These ideas have met fierce pushback. In a Los Angeles high school, posters reading, “F**k Amerikka, this is native land,” graced the walls—at least until public outcry prompted their quiet removal. Commentators argue that this isn’t just teaching history, it’s sowing distrust, and perhaps even disillusionment, among impressionable youth. “Their skewed logic and hatred are the inevitable result of forcing anti-American ideological frameworks on young students,” reads one pointed criticism.

It would be misleading to say these clashes are confined to the classroom. The FBI recently arrested members of the Turtle Island Liberation Front, accusing them of plotting bomb attacks on Southern California businesses. While such episodes are rare, and most educators abhor violence, some worry about the deeper effect of teaching polarizing worldviews.

There are, of course, two sides. Initiatives like the Zinn Education Project and the Great Schools Partnership argue that “Decolonize Education” efforts give long-overlooked groups a voice. For every critic brandishing terms like “child soldiers” and “culture war,” there are advocates hailing a necessary correction—one that acknowledges both historic wrongs and present injustices.

The result? School communities are left grappling with not just what is taught but how—and to what end. Following the October 7 attacks in Israel, reports of Jewish students facing harassment tied to campus protests have surfaced, further muddying the conversation around free speech, hate, and safety.

Dhillon put it bluntly: “Generally speaking, we are seeing some improvements in some schools, but medical schools seem to be the last bastion of openly woke and radical discrimination against whites and Asians.”

The federal government’s stance is clear. For public schools, it’s a choice: prioritize core education, protect all students from divisive hatred, or jeopardize the financial support so many rely on. Parents, educators, and policymakers now watch anxiously to see whether California’s classrooms will unite, or further fracture, the youngest members of its society.

Federal officials, it seems, have grown weary of business as usual in California's public education system. This week, new directives landed like a thunderclap: address what’s been described as mounting political indoctrination and extremism—or face the loss of critical federal funds.At the center of this intensifying debate stands Harmeet Dhillon, now the assistant attorney general at the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. Her words, delivered in a tone that suggested both warning and finality, left no room for ambiguity. Referencing an incident where a student was reportedly hurt amidst an anti-ICE protest, Dhillon made her position plain: “There was a child injured in California during an anti-ICE protest, so there is political indoctrination going on at these schools as well.” It caught many administrators off guard.Public schools don’t function in a vacuum; federal dollars keep the lights on and programs afloat. The directive from Dhillon is unmistakable—cross the line, and you might find those dollars drying up. Notably, she delimited her focus. The controversy here isn’t about which students end up in gifted classrooms. Rather, the federal concern pinpoints what Dhillon called “racial, religious or anti-religious indoctrination.” With recent surges in both racism and antisemitism, particularly across California’s K-12 corridors, scrutiny is mounting.The episode in San Jose still echoes. Students at a high school—some barely old enough to remember the details of World War II—linked arms, forming a human swastika on their school’s football field. Their gesture was accompanied by a Hitler quote, chilling parents and educators alike. School leaders responded, not with expulsions or police referrals, but with something termed “restorative justice.” Details remain murky—those following the aftermath can’t get a straight answer on what consequences, if any, followed.Elsewhere, tensions spill into school board meetings. In Temecula Valley, parents demanded answers after reports surfaced that bathrooms and locker rooms were now accessible by students of all genders. Privacy for children was suddenly a matter for heated public debate. The board eventually offered parents the option to request privacy accommodations, but not before emotions boiled over. “You’ve opened the door to unlimited scenarios where boys can start going into the bathrooms and touching girls,” said one parent, her voice raw with anxiety.Since Dhillon stepped into her role in April, her priorities have been clear. Investigations into nearly a hundred universities are already underway—probing charges from racial bias to claims of silencing conservative voices. Within days of taking the reins, she fired off more than 70 warning letters to higher education leaders, signaling a dramatic increase in federal scrutiny.Universities are not exempt. The federal government recently threw its weight behind a lawsuit against UCLA’s renowned medical school. Plaintiffs argue the admissions process unfairly favors Black and Hispanic applicants, even when white and Asian candidates predominate in the pool. “I want to eliminate race-based discrimination in America,” Dhillon said publicly, summing up her agenda in plain terms.What’s happening in the classroom goes beyond reading lists and history lessons, critics say. Activist organizations, some with names like Turtle Island Liberation Front, have begun weaving new narratives into lesson plans. Materials promote an understanding of America as founded on “stolen land.” Projects such as Teach Palestine push students to draw parallels between Native American and Palestinian experiences—casting the U.S. and Israel alike as colonial states.These ideas have met fierce pushback. In a Los Angeles high school, posters reading, “F**k Amerikka, this is native land,” graced the walls—at least until public outcry prompted their quiet removal. Commentators argue that this isn’t just teaching history, it’s sowing distrust, and perhaps even disillusionment, among impressionable youth. “Their skewed logic and hatred are the inevitable result of forcing anti-American ideological frameworks on young students,” reads one pointed criticism.It would be misleading to say these clashes are confined to the classroom. The FBI recently arrested members of the Turtle Island Liberation Front, accusing them of plotting bomb attacks on Southern California businesses. While such episodes are rare, and most educators abhor violence, some worry about the deeper effect of teaching polarizing worldviews.There are, of course, two sides. Initiatives like the Zinn Education Project and the Great Schools Partnership argue that “Decolonize Education” efforts give long-overlooked groups a voice. For every critic brandishing terms like “child soldiers” and “culture war,” there are advocates hailing a necessary correction—one that acknowledges both historic wrongs and present injustices.The result? School communities are left grappling with not just what is taught but how—and to what end. Following the October 7 attacks in Israel, reports of Jewish students facing harassment tied to campus protests have surfaced, further muddying the conversation around free speech, hate, and safety.Dhillon put it bluntly: “Generally speaking, we are seeing some improvements in some schools, but medical schools seem to be the last bastion of openly woke and radical discrimination against whites and Asians.”The federal government’s stance is clear. For public schools, it’s a choice: prioritize core education, protect all students from divisive hatred, or jeopardize the financial support so many rely on. Parents, educators, and policymakers now watch anxiously to see whether California’s classrooms will unite, or further fracture, the youngest members of its society.