Philadelphia teacher admits fabricating Palestinian and Black identity

A Philadelphia teacher, Hannah Gann, has publicly admitted to lying for years about her ethnic background, at various times claiming to be Palestinian, Tunisian or Black. The revelation has drawn sharp criticism from fellow activists and colleagues.

The Racial Justice Organizing Committee (RJOC) and Philly Educators for Palestine (PEFP) announced they were cutting all ties with Gann, a long-time member of both groups. After more than an hour of questioning by representatives of the organizations, Gann eventually admitted she had lied. The groups asked her to publicly acknowledge that she is a white woman of Jewish heritage from an Israeli settler family.

Both organizations said in a joint statement that Gann's actions caused profound harm — to Palestinians whose identity and struggle were appropriated, to the Black community, and to young people, organizers and organizations whose trust and resources were exploited.

Gann later released a video statement on Instagram, admitting she had hidden the truth or lied outright about her background to everyone in her life, and that no one had known what she was doing. She expressed regret over the damage caused to people and causes she genuinely cares about, while maintaining that her lies do not undermine the urgency of listening to others speaking about events in Palestine.

Years of activism

Gann, who teaches at Philadelphia's Workshop School, had long been a visible figure in local pro-Palestinian activism, including as one of the founders of PEFP. In 2024, a mobile billboard was displayed outside her school featuring her photo and a caption labeling her an antisemite.

The Philadelphia Inquirer, reviewing documents compiled by the Philly Palestine Coalition, found that a Palestinian-born grandfather Gann had referenced was actually born in Baltimore, according to historical draft records. A former University of Pennsylvania classmate told the paper that Gann had once described herself as a white Jewish woman with family in the West Bank, but changed her appearance and speech after returning from a Peace Corps assignment in Rwanda.

The School District of Philadelphia said it was aware of the situation and was providing support to staff and students at the Workshop School.