Oakland Tech student calls out censorship of school newspaper story critical of rising death toll in Gaza
Oakland Tech High School senior Aliyah Sharif is searching for answers after an article she wrote about the conflict in Gaza was removed from the school newspaper's website.
"I'm definitely being silenced and censored," said Sharif.
Soon after Oakland Tech's student-run paper The Scribe printed and distributed its January edition, complaints highlighting the comparison of the death toll in Gaza to the Holocaust got the attention of school and district officials.
Kyle Melton emailed school officials demanding the article be taken down immediately.
He cited one of the lines stating "The ongoing killing rate suggests that the death toll could surpass that of the Holocaust."
Oakland Unified School District officials removed the article.
"I don't see it as anti-Semitic at all. I am not preaching any hate in my article about the Jewish community at all," said Sharif.
"To say it could surpass that of the Holocaust -- in which six million Jews died -- I think that's intentionally incendiary. And a teacher should have spotted it and censored it," said Melton.
Melton also balked at the article's opening line, characterizing Israel as an "apartheid state."
"Because of this hateful rhetoric it's becoming commonplace for public discourse and being trivialized by the rest of the world, it's really dangerous. This is not the California I grew up in," said Melton.
When pressed, Melton acknowledged defining "apartheid" is debatable.
Meanwhile, Sharif remains critical of the move and is confused about OUSD's decision.
"I was disappointed with the lack of communication because they didn't give me a specific reason why they wanted to take my article down other than that there was a concern for my safety," said Sharif.
Oakland Tech's principal and the Oakland Unified School District declined interview requests, choosing to send a statement that reads:
"We will always support our students' first amendment rights, and the safety of our school communities is paramount."
Sharif and her father want a more detailed explanation from the district, saying there was no response when they asked for a meeting to discuss the decision.
"I'm standing by my daughter's side because I don't want anyone taking her voice away from her," said Mohsin Sharif.
Melton agrees Sharif deserves at least a meeting and a further explanation.
"For a high schooler, it's a teachable moment where the teacher should be there to lead a more reasoned and peaceful discourse," said Melton.
"I think the real issue is people don't want to see the real history behind it," said Sharif.
Sharif believes her words critical of Israel were the reason why the article was erased. She's still waiting to hear why, not from critics, but from school officials.
In an email sent to the Sharif family obtained by KPIX, Oakland Tech principal Martel Price wrote in part, "Because the article is posted on an Oakland Technical High School sponsored platform, the school, staff, and students can be and are being framed as antisemitic. That perception makes the campus a target. I hope that you all can understand the decision that I am making as such with guidance from OUSD legal."
