SAUSD Hires Curriculum Consultant That Celebrated October 7 Hamas Terror Attack

Xito has been at the center of a lawsuit alleging that SAUSD systematically discriminated and promoted racial bigotry against Jews.

A lawsuit over antisemitic curriculum was not enough to stop Santa Ana Unified School District from re-hiring the same controversial consultant.

At their August 27 meeting, the SAUSD Board of Education voted to award a $92,000 contract to Xicanx Institute for Teaching and Organizing, better known as Xito, to train teachers to implement the curriculum that has been the focus of the lawsuit.

In 2023, the Anti-Defamation League alleged that curriculum provided by Xito used antisemitic tropes and systematically excluded Jews from discussions about ethnic studies. The lawsuit alleges both open meeting laws and California laws concerning ethnic studies curriculum.

The Arizona based Xito, has built a name by providing “decolonial Ethnic studies” training to schools that simultaneously accuses Israel of genocide while making claims that Jews control the United States.

The Board awarded the contract in a unanimous vote without any discussion despite objections from members of the public. Included in that contract is $80,633 for 11 days of professional development for teachers.

Xito founder Sean Acre has an active account on X on which he regularly shares violent images celebrating Palestinian terror attacks, Iranian government propaganda, and “abolition” – a technical term in Critical Theory that refers to dismantling basic math and literacy education.

After public criticism, Acre deactivated his personal Instagram and Facebook as well as accounts owned by Xito. Both his personal X account and that of Xito are still active.

“His social media is a veritable training ground as a classic course on anti-Semitism,” said Karen Jaffe, a reporter with the Voice of Orange County.

Discover in the pending ADL lawsuit uncovered rampant use of slurs and racist stereotypes by members of SAUSD board and the steering committee responsible for ethnic studies.

“Open meetings are required by law specifically to prevent this type of situation,” said James Pasch, ADL Senior Director of National Litigation. “As the evidence shows, the district intentionally hid information from the public, to try to get away with teaching antisemitic lies to the next generation in Santa Ana.”