NEW: Students of Seattle Public Schools teacher who backs Hamas’ Oct. 7 massacre say he’s antisemitic
“Mr. Golash has said that he’s a communist.”
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“Mr. Golash has said that he’s a communist.”
Accuracy In Media (AIM) showed up with a mobile billboard at Chief Sealth International High School calling out Ethnic Studies World History teacher and chair of the social studies department Ian Golash. Students in the teacher's class also find his antisemitism abhorrent.
Golash is accused of being “pro Hamas,” has made antisemitic comments and displayed images of terrorists proudly in his classroom.
While AIM president Adam Guillette was outside the school, Golash came out to confront Guillette and brought his entire class out with him.
One student raced ahead of the group and Guillette asked him what he thought of Golash “and his antisemitism?”
The student replied, “I don't like it, honestly. How has he not been fired yet? Like, I've read his posts. He's antisemitic.”
Guillette asked, “Have you had him as a teacher?”
"I actually am a part of his class right now. He's taking us out as an example of free speech," the student said.
Guillette responded, “So he's taking you out of the class to us right now?”
"Yeah, he's right down there,” the student said as Golash and his students could be seen walking towards the mobile billboard displaying his comments and calling out his antisemitism.
The move was on brand for Golash who during the 2020 George Floyd riots in the summer of 2020 led student protesters into the King County Jail and attempted to block news cameras.
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View on X"Your post said that oppressors don't get to choose the form of resistance used against them," AIM asked Golash, referencing the rape, torture, and massacre of women at the Nova Music Festival on Oct. 7.
"That is true," Golash replied.
Guillette then asked Golash if what happened to Israel on October 7 was justified. The embattled teacher said “Yes.”
“Where's the evidence that there was rape?” Golash asked about the Nova Festival massacre.
Golash is the school's representative for the Seattle Education Association teachers' union which recently passed a pro-Hamas resolution. This despite testimony from released hostages held by Hamas, UN reports and intelligence from Israeli and American intelligence confirming the sexual violence at the massacre.
Golash acknowledged that women were murdered at the festival, but said that it was justified. "I think resistance against Israel is justified. Yes."
Following the Oct 7 attacks on Israel, Golash posted “This is what I understand. Correct me if I'm wrong... With evidence, please...On October 7-9...Hamas didn't behead anyone. Hamas didn't rape anyone.”
“The bodies found charred beyond recognition were made that way either by Israeli tanks, missiles or helicopter gunships... Hamas soldiers were not carrying weapons that could do that kind of damage to human bodies…” Golash said.
“A body looks very different once it's been vaporized by a Hellfire missile or an explosive tank round as opposed to being set on fire with, say gasoline, for example," Golash said, though the origin of his claimed expertise is unknown.
The Seattle Public School teacher also claimed that, despite Hamas terrorists live-streaming their atrocities, Israel “…chose to obliterate Israeli civilians, including at least one child, in their efforts to kill Hamas militants.”
He concluded, “I'm just trying to get it straight for myself... I don't know how into the weeds y'all are on this... also, f*ck Hamas, f*ck Israel, I'm a communist.”
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View on XGuillette then asked the self-identifying communist teacher, “Is America an oppressor state?”
Golash, who in his classroom and the halls of the school has hung images of Hamas terrorists along with calls to "Free Gaza" and "Long Live Palestine," replied “Yeah,” and when Guillette asked if it would be acceptable to go to Bonnaroo or Lollapalooza and kill a bunch of civilians, Golash told the AIM president, “It's just like a stupid argument.”
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View on XGuillette then queried Golash about his multiple including those for assault, violating parole, and criminal harassment, and asked him about his previous anti-police posts, “Did you say all cops are bastards before or after the arrests?”
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View on XGolash responded, “Since day one.”
Guillette clarified, “And all cops? Every cop is a bastard?”
Golash, whose social media also includes imagery affiliated with Antifa and the movement to abolish the police, responded “Yeah.”
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View on XGuillette then asked if “The cops who ran inside the buildings on 9/11 and saved civilians, were they bastards as well?” to which Golash stated, “All cops are bastards.”
Golash recently received a 6-figure settlement from the Emerald City as part of a $10 million lawsuit by a group of 50 Antifa and BLM activists who rioted during the 2020 “Summer of Love” in Seattle and then criticized police for their response.
“There's genuine injustices going on in the world, but then the people who back those injustices are so radical that they end up just looping back around to the things that I don't support," another student told Guillette when Golash had left.
“Mr. Golash has said that he's a communist. I have a friend who's in one of his classes, and he was supposed to write an essay on how capitalism was bad…but to my knowledge, there has been no communist country that has worked well for the people at all.”
“Nobody really wants to talk to him and like explain what he did wrong, but they like really don't like him," said the first student who spoke to Guillette.
Guillette asked the student if his peers were aware of Golash’s arrest record. The student was, but a girl could be heard off camera exclaiming, “He has an arrest record?!” while another male student stated, “that does not surprise me at all.”
The original student called Golash, “a troubled individual.”
The school’s principal Ray Garcia Morales sent an email to parents in December stating that they were “looking into the situation,” but no action was taken.
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View on XAccording to the student, the district previously sent out a statement saying that Golash would not be fired. The student added that Seattle Public Schools was doing nothing to hold the teacher accountable, adding that his parents were outraged.
In response to Golash’s comments, The American Jewish Committee released a statement on Monday slamming Seattle Public Schools for not taking action when Golash’s comments were first revealed in December.
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View on X“It is abhorrent that the chair of social studies at Chief Sealth International High School would make horrific and inflammatory comments about Israel and do so with his class present. Sadly, it is not the first time. Last December, the school and district were made aware of similar allegations, brought to their attention by the media and parents. By justifying acts of barbarism by Hamas, including the slaughter of 1,200 men, women, children and babies, Ian Golash has fostered an environment in school where students and faculty are intimidated into silence.”
“If Seattle Public Schools are truly committed to combating antisemitism and other forms of hate, it must first ensure its classrooms are places for education, not indoctrination, especially from an instructor who celebrates the murder of innocent civilians."
Earlier in the day, Seattle Public School told The Ari Hoffman Show on Talk Radio 570 KVI, “Seattle Public Schools does not tolerate Antisemitic, Islamophobic, or any kind of hate speech or acts in our schools or offices. The description of a conversation occurring between an Accuracy in Media member and SPS teacher on April 1 is deeply concerning.”
“The statements we observed from the teacher do not represent Seattle Public Schools. We are conducting an immediate, appropriate investigation to determine the facts. While our review is in process, we cannot comment on personnel matters related to this topic. Creating high-quality and inclusive educational environments for our students is a top priority for SPS. We are looking into this matter and once our investigation concludes, we will provide an update.”
Golash has previously been exposed for bringing his radical ideology into the classroom. He gave one of his students a failing grade after the pupil said that only women can conceive a child and that only men have penises, in a quiz entitled, “Understanding Gender vs. Sex.”
A complaint filed by a parent alleges that he told a student that being "straight" was offensive when the student completed a "Social Identity Wheel."
Following the damning interview, Golash doubled down on all of his statements in a long Facebook post (which appears to have been deleted) where he also claimed: "...the oppression of trans people is rooted in patriarchy, the privileging and empowerment of men and the oppression of women."