EXCLUSIVE: Seattle teacher who justified Hamas terror attacks resigns after fighting termination

Seattle Public Schools has confirmed that controversial Chief Sealth International High School teacher Ian Golash officially resigned from the district after appealing its effort to terminate his employment.

The confirmation came after Golash’s name unexpectedly reappeared on Chief Sealth’s website, where he was once again listed as a teacher and head of the school’s social studies department, raising questions about whether he had been reinstated.

Seattle Public Schools told The Ari Hoffman Show on Talk Radio 570 KVI that Golash is no longer employed by the district. “The parties have reached a resolution that allows Seattle Public Schools and Ian Golash to move forward. Mr. Golash has resigned effective March 2, 2026. The District remains committed to providing a safe, supportive, and academically strong learning environment for every student.”

When asked why Golash had been added back to Chief Sealth’s website despite resigning months earlier, the district said it would be “addressing any website preparations for the new school year directly with our teams.”

The district did not disclose the terms of its resolution with Golash or explain why his resignation, which took effect in March, had not previously been announced.

In July 2025, Seattle Public Schools told The Ari Hoffman Show that it had “initiated the process to terminate” Golash. The self-identified communist appealed the decision and remained on administrative leave while the process continued.

Golash was placed on leave in April 2024 after he took students out of class to confront a mobile billboard from Accuracy in Media that highlighted allegations of antisemitism and political indoctrination in his classroom.

During the confrontation, Accuracy in Media President Adam Guillette asked Golash whether the October 7 Hamas terrorist attack against Israel was justified. Golash answered, “Yes.”

When Guillette asked whether the reported rape of women at the Nova music festival was justified, Golash responded, “Where’s the evidence that there was rape?”

Asked whether women were murdered at the festival and whether their deaths were justified, Golash said, “Yes,” before adding, “I think resistance against Israel is justified. Yes.”

Golash had also posted statements questioning documented atrocities committed during the attack, writing, “Hamas didn’t behead anyone. Hamas didn’t rape anyone.” He speculated without evidence that Israel was responsible for the charred bodies of Israeli civilians and accused the country of killing its own people while responding to the terrorists.

Golash concluded one of his posts by writing, “also, fck Hamas, fck Israel, I’m a communist.”

His classroom and school hallways reportedly featured images of Palestinian terrorists and slogans including “Free Gaza” and “Long Live Palestine.” Students previously told Accuracy in Media that they believed Golash was antisemitic and used his classroom to promote communist ideology.

Golash first attracted widespread scrutiny in 2023 after failing a student who answered that only women can become pregnant and that only men have penises on a quiz titled “Understanding Gender vs. Sex.”

A separate complaint alleged that Golash told a student that identifying as “straight” was offensive. Golash later acknowledged objecting to the term because he claimed it implied that people who are not heterosexual are “crooked.”

A review of Golash’s background also revealed multiple arrests in Oregon involving assault, criminal harassment and violating parole, as well as a harassment conviction. He additionally faced trespassing and harassment charges in Washington.

Golash, an anti-police activist who has promoted Antifa-aligned and “abolish the police” rhetoric, was among the plaintiffs who received a settlement from Seattle, King County and Washington state over the government response to the 2020 riots. During the unrest, he led student protesters into the King County Jail and attempted to obstruct news cameras.