Photo: Hannah Gann/Instagram
A Philadelphia teacher and activist has admitted to lying for years about her racial and ethnic background, acknowledging that she falsely presented herself as Black, Palestinian, and Tunisian.
Hannah Gann, a 10th-grade social studies teacher at the Workshop School, first acknowledged the deception in a social media post shared Saturday (September 19).
"I lied about my identity and have been lying for years," she wrote. “I have no Palestinian or Tunisian heritage. I am a white woman of significant privilege and wealth. Anyone who supported me was manipulated and should not be judged as a result of their support for me."
NBC News reported that Gann had falsely claimed Black, Palestinian, and Tunisian roots.
The Racial Justice Organizing Committee and Philly Educators for Palestine confronted Gann about her background, according to PhillyVoice.
Gann had been involved with both groups and co-founded Philly Educators for Palestine.
In a video posted Monday (September 21), Gann said, “I hid the truth or outright lied about my background to everyone in my life.” She said no friends, family members, fellow organizers, or professional contacts knew about the deception.
Gann also defended Philadelphia teacher and organizer Keziah Ridgeway, saying Ridgeway’s “only mistake was being too trusting and too empathetic.” She said she fully corroborated Ridgeway’s account of the events.
Both organizations cut ties with Gann following the confrontation, according to NBC News.
In her most recent post Thursday (September 24), Gann said she was still trying to make things right.
She also pushed back against adults criticizing her students, calling the comments “sickening and disgusting” and saying she kept her page public so people would direct their anger at her rather than her students.
The Philadelphia School District told PhillyVoice it was aware of social media posts concerning Gann but declined to comment on personnel matters. The district said it was making support available to students and staff at the Workshop School.
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