A lawsuit over a Palo Alto High field trip to a mosque describes students as being “exposed” to Muslim civil rights attorney Zahra Billoo, pictured in 2021.

Being “exposed” to me is apparently a constitutional concern.

That is the language a recently filed federal lawsuit used to describe what happened when Palo Alto High School students heard me speak during an educational visit to a local mosque.

The visit was part of the religion component of the school’s Social Justice Pathway program. Students visited the Muslim Community Association’s mosque in Santa Clara, one of the region’s largest, where they interacted with mosque leaders and staff, observed prayers and had lunch.

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I was invited to speak about social justice and my civil rights work. I gave a talk about Islamophobia and protecting and empowering American Muslims, particularly in the current political climate. I had recently returned from visiting an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center, and I spoke about the connections between minority communities confronting discrimination and government overreach.  I then took questions from students, most of which were general queries about Islam and the work I do as a civil rights lawyer.

It was a routine part of my work. Imagine my surprise when I learned that I was named in a federal lawsuit over it.

The complaint describes students as having been “exposed” to me, calls me a “controversial speaker” and alleges........

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