A group of Jewish, Hindu and Zoroastrian parents has filed a lawsuit against Palo Alto Unified School District and Palo Alto High School's principal, alleging that students on a school-organised mosque field trip were given religious garments and Qurans and encouraged to take part in Islamic worship without parental consent. The suit, filed on 7 August as part of a challenge to the school's Social Justice Pathway curriculum, argues that a public school promoting one faith over others breaches the separation of church and state, raising broader questions about religious neutrality in American public education.

The lawsuit claims students observed a Dhuhr prayer, engaged with a Quran-memorisation youth programme, and that female pupils were given hijabs to wear while all students received Qurans to keep. It also notes students spoke with Zahra Billoo of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, a figure previously accused of antisemitic remarks. The Muslim Community Association, which hosted the visit, said it was "deeply concerned" and warned against treating exposure to Islamic practice as inherently coercive, while the district's superintendent said he was reviewing the claims but would not comment further on pending litigation. Some students, including a student newspaper editor, disputed the allegations of coercion and indoctrination, though acknowledged Billoo's involvement was inappropriate.