Philadelphia teacher and activist Hannah Gann said she had lied for years about her background, admitting she is a white Jewish woman with no Palestinian or Tunisian heritage. Two activist groups said she acknowledged the deception after they questioned her for an hour.
In an Instagram video posted Sept. 21, Gann apologized, said she had acted alone and urged that anger be directed at her rather than at people and groups affected by the fallout. She said no one knew what she was doing.
Gann reportedly teaches at the Workshop School. The Philly Palestine Coalition said her access to students, especially Black youth, was concerning. A Philadelphia School District spokesperson said the district was aware of social media posts about an employee's involvement with an outside advocacy organization and was making support available to the school's staff and students as needed.
