Watchdogs push Seattle school to discipline teacher Sobia Sheikh for raising ... trends now

Education watchdogs want a Seattle school to discipline a math teacher who was caught raising money for Palestinian extremists and for her posts linking Israel with Nazi Germany.

Members of the National Education Association (NEA), a major union, and the Conservative Ladies of Washington group, said Sobia Sheikh should be held accountable for her fundraising and online activism.

Sheikh, a math teacher at Mariner High School, was exposed this month for urging a colleague to wire money to a charity led by a radical Palestinian cleric who denies Hamas atrocities and supports the use of sex slaves.

The school says it has 'addressed the issue' with Sheikh, but would not say what action it took.

The case spotlights tensions between parents and teachers in America's culture wars, and raises tough questions about whether educators should float political ideas while at work.

Jany Finkielsztein, a public school educator and member of the NEA's Jewish Affairs Caucus, said Mukilteo School District needed to take action over Sheikh.

'School administrators must set clear expectations and deter teachers like Sobia Sheikh from pushing and supporting extreme political views without consequences,' Finkielsztein told DailyMail.com.

'Urgent action is needed to address the rise of antisemitism in schools, ensuring transparency and oversight to prevent the indoctrination of anti-Israel falsehoods and hate among American students.'

Jeannie Magdua, a teacher at a private Christian school and member of the Conservative Ladies of Washington group, said Washington parents were losing faith in the state's public schools.

'The radical political activism among teachers, like Sobia Sheikh, is one of the reasons I withdrew my child from public school,' Magdua told DailyMail.com.

'Until there is a shift toward education and away from wokeness, the K-12 system will continue to lose students.'

DailyMail.com readers agree — our opinion poll showed that 96 percent of some 500 respondents said Sheikh should face disciplinary action.

Another 3 percent said she should not, and 1 percent was not sure.

Diane Bradford, the school district's spokeswoman, told DailyMail.com that it has 'addressed the issue with all parties and is not willing to further discuss personnel issues through the media.'

Sheikh's controversial social media posts 'do not represent the district,' added Bradford.

'We understand this conflict raises strong feelings and that Americans have the right to voice their opinions,' she said.

Sheikh, a math teacher at Mariner High School, was exposed earlier this month for urging a co-worker to send funds to Waqforever in an email thread about helping Palestinians in the Israel-Hamas war.

The charity is fronted by Ali Hammuda, a bearded UK-based Islamic cleric, whose extremist views include endorsing sex slaves and denying Hamas atrocities in Israel on October 7.

Sheikh, who has served on the NEA board, also shared her own hard-line views, including Facebook posts that compare Israel to Nazi Germany.