ISGAP calls for a federal investigation, curriculum suspension, and stricter foreign funding disclosure in K-12 education, after briefing key officials, including the U.S. Department of Education, the Department of Justice, and congressional leaders.

Congressman Kevin Kiley from California, Chair of the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education of the House Education & Workforce Committee, “ISGAP’s latest report suggests foreign influence from Qatar has infiltrated the Choices Program hosted at Brown University”.

A newly released report by the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy (ISGAP) uncovers extensive foreign influence and anti-Israel bias infiltrating U.S. K-12 classrooms through Brown University’s Choices Program. This curriculum, used by over 8,000 schools across all 50 states and reaching more than one million students, operates with undisclosed foreign funding and has been found to systematically distort historical facts to delegitimize Israel. The report raises significant concerns about transparency, oversight, and compliance with federal disclosure laws.

ISGAP has sent the report widely across Capitol Hill and the administration, including the Departments of Education and Justice. Congressman Kevin Kiley from California, Chair of the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education of the House Education & Workforce Committee, noted that “ISGAP’s latest report suggests foreign influence from Qatar has infiltrated the Choices Program hosted at Brown University, a curriculum widely adopted in K-12 schools across the country. I look forward to working with ISGAP and colleagues on both sides of the aisle to assure foreign influence does not promote antisemitism at American schools.”

The investigation highlights the systematic manipulation of educational materials in the Choices Program within the same units over the last decade plus, gradually shifting its curriculum to present an increasingly anti-Israel perspective. Changes include the removal of key historical documents and the omission of others, the misrepresentation of Israel’s capital in maps, and the exclusion of balanced perspectives on Israeli history and diplomacy. Furthermore, the report reveals that Qatar Foundation International (QFI) has played an undisclosed role in shaping the Choices Program’s curriculum and teacher training, influencing how American students are taught about the Middle East and Israel.

The report also highlights a critical lack of transparency and oversight in schools utilizing the Choices Program. Schools are not informed when curriculum content is modified, and the proprietary nature of the digital curriculum prevents parents, school boards, and educators from reviewing and assessing changes. This raises serious ethical and legal concerns regarding accountability in education.

The report also exposes the opaque legal and financial structure of the Choices Program, which operates under Brown University’s name while maintaining an ambiguous status that obscures compliance with federal disclosure laws. There is substantial evidence suggesting that Brown University may have failed to disclose foreign funding as required under the Higher Education Act. Additionally, the report raises concerns about the potential exposure of student and teacher data to third-party entities.

Dr. Charles Asher Small, ISGAP’s Executive Director, said: This is a direct attempt to manipulate American students by embedding ideologically motivated foreign propaganda in their education. Foreign entities with known ties to extremist ideologies should not be shaping how our children learn about history and the Middle East. The lack of transparency and oversight in this case is a threat to educational integrity and democratic values. American students should not be used as pawns in foreign propaganda campaigns. It is time to demand transparency, accountability, and an end to the silent manipulation of our children’s education.

Congressman Kevin Kiley from California, Chair of the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education of the House Education & Workforce Committee, noted, “I am grateful that the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy (ISGAP) has dedicated significant effort to investigating antisemitism and foreign influence in K-12 curriculum. As Chairman of the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education, I recently co-led the PROTECT Our Kids Act to prevent federal education funds from supporting schools partnered with or funded by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Similarly, ISGAP’s latest report suggests foreign influence from Qatar has infiltrated the Choices Program hosted at Brown University, a curriculum widely adopted in K-12 schools across the country. I look forward to working with ISGAP and colleagues on both sides of the aisle to assure foreign influence does not promote antisemitism at American schools,” said Rep. Kiley.

Francene D. Reichel Sokol, Ph.D, admin of the Facebook Group, ‘Mothers Against College Antisemitism’ added, “The findings in this report are deeply alarming. Brown University’s Choices Program is not just an academic curriculum—it is a vehicle for foreign influence and the systematic indoctrination of students against Israel. The lack of transparency, the distortion of historical facts, and the documented involvement of Qatari funding underscore the urgent need for oversight and accountability in K-12 education. No parent should have to worry that their child’s education is being manipulated by undisclosed foreign interests. We call on policymakers and school districts to take immediate action to ensure that our classrooms remain places of learning, not propaganda”.

KEY FINDINGS FROM THE REPORT:

• Systematic Anti-Israel Bias – Over multiple editions, the Choices Program has erased key historical facts, distorted maps, and rewritten history to cast Israel in a negative light.
• Foreign Interference in U.S. Education – Qatar Foundation International (QFI) has covertly shaped the Choices Program curriculum, influencing how over one million students learn about the Middle East.
• Lack of Transparency & Parental Awareness – Schools using the curriculum are not informed of content changes. Parents and school boards have no oversight, and the Choices Program’s financial and legal structure remains alarmingly opaque.
• Possible Federal Law Violations – Brown University may have failed to disclose millions in foreign funding, violating the Higher Education Act, which requires institutions to report foreign donations exceeding $250,000.

IN RESPONSE TO THESE FINDINGS, ISGAP IS CALLING FOR IMMEDIATE ACTION:

• Immediate suspension of the Middle East Choices Program for K-12 student pending a comprehensive review.
• A federal investigation by the U.S. Department of Education and Department of Justiceinto undisclosed foreign influence on K-12 education.
• Congressional oversight hearings on the relationship between Brown University and the Choices Program.
• Stronger enforcement of disclosure laws, including mandatory reporting of all foreign funding received by K-12 schools under an amended Section 117 of the Higher Education Act.
• Mandatory registration of QFI under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) for its activities in U.S. schools.
• Full transparency in K-12 curriculum development, requiring schools to provide parents with access to all social studies resources used in classrooms.
 

The full report can be accessed here.

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For media inquiries contact Raoul Wootliff at [email protected]