A Philadelphia teacher who built a reputation as a prominent anti-Israel activist has admitted that she fabricated her Palestinian and Black identities for years, revealing instead that she is a White Jewish woman of significant wealth and privilege. The admission from Hannah Gann, an educator at the Workshop School in the School District of Philadelphia, has stunned colleagues and prompted comparisons to Rachel Dolezal, the former NAACP official who claimed Black identity despite having White parents.
Gann made the confession in a 10-minute video posted to Instagram, according to reporting by The Philadelphia Inquirer. In the video, she apologized for the yearslong deception and acknowledged her background. «There is not a single person on this planet, no friend, no fellow organizer, no one in my family, no professional connection, no secret op or handler who knew what I was doing,» Gann said. She added that she hid her family's background from everyone in Philadelphia and also concealed her activities from her own family members.
The Racial Justice Organizing Committee and Philly Educators for Palestine, two groups with which Gann had been affiliated, said in a statement that members met with her and questioned her about her background. After an hour of discussion, Gann finally admitted she had lied. The groups said they were «stunned, saddened and angered by this betrayal» and have permanently severed ties with her.
Gann had been a leading voice within the school district following the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attacks on Israel. In 2024, she participated in a West Philadelphia «teach-in» on what organizers called «scholasticide» in Gaza. She was also a vocal supporter of Keziah Ridgeway, a Philadelphia educator who was previously disciplined over pro-Palestinian social media posts shared on her private accounts. Social media posts from 2025 show Gann appearing at a public community hearing wearing a keffiyeh and speaking in an apparent accent that is not present in her apology video.
According to a document compiled by the Philly Palestine Coalition and obtained by the Inquirer, Gann allegedly made several references to having Palestinian family members. In one instance, the coalition found that a grandfather Gann claimed was Palestinian-born was actually born in Baltimore, according to historical records. Additional documents reportedly found that Gann's family lives abroad in Israel and that she had successfully received donations from people after telling them she was strapped for cash because she was sending money to loved ones.
A University of Pennsylvania classmate of Gann's told the outlet she was known in college «as a self-proclaimed White Jewish woman with family in the occupied West Bank. I watched her sudden transformation after she returned to Philly from the Peace Corps in Rwanda.» The unnamed classmate added that Gann was «clearly making herself look darker using makeup and fake tan, and speaking using African American Vernacular English.»
The Philly Palestine Coalition document also pointed out that Gann «is a teacher of predominantly Black youth. She has gained the trust of young people on the basis of a sense of shared oppression.» The document alleged that Gann «has served as a mentor to at least one young White person who was manipulated by Hannah on the basis of a fake identity,» adding that «her access to vulnerable young people, especially Black youth, is deeply concerning, given her pattern of lying and manipulation.»
In response to the allegations, the school district is reportedly providing support to students who may have been affected. A district spokesperson told the Inquirer that officials are «aware of social media posts concerning a district employee and her involvement with an outside advocacy organization.» The district did not reveal whether Gann would face any disciplinary consequences for her actions.
The Lawfare Project, a pro bono legal organization that works to protect the rights of Jewish individuals globally, condemned Gann's actions. The group said the most disturbing question is not only why Gann lied, but why she believed her real identity required concealment. The case has also drawn attention online, where some have referred to Gann as the «Palestinian Rachel Dolezal,» a nod to the 2015 scandal that ended Dolezal's career in civil rights leadership.
Gann's admission raises broader questions about identity, representation, and trust in educational settings. As a teacher of predominantly Black students, her fabricated persona allowed her to claim a shared experience of oppression that was not her own. The school district has not announced any disciplinary measures, and it remains unclear what consequences, if any, Gann will face. Fox News Digital reached out to Gann and the Philadelphia School District for comment.