For over a decade, CAIR-CA has surveyed Muslim students across California to assess their school experiences. This seventh report, released in 2025 in collaboration with and by CPHB, expands on this work through both quantitative and qualitative research to better understand how bullying and discrimination impact students’ daily lives. The study surveyed 1,802 students, ages 11-18, from 48 counties.
Findings revealed that 50% of Muslim students experienced peer bullying due to their religious identity, while nearly 1 in 3 reported offensive or inappropriate behavior from school staff – including derogatory remarks about Islam and Muslims, as well as biased curriculum practices. Despite these harmful experiences, most students chose not to report these bullying incidents to school staff because they felt undervalued, were fearful, or found the school’s reporting process unclear.
For the first time, student focus groups and interviews were also included, revealing a recurring theme of othering and highlighting five key issues: verbal harassment, lack of safety and belonging, biased curriculum, underreporting, and inadequate counseling support.
The 2025 report calls on educators, parents, and policymakers to take action—promoting inclusion, strengthening safety, and ensuring all students feel valued and protected in schools.
In 2023, CAIR witnessed the highest number of biased-based complaints in its 30-year history, reflecting an alarming increase in challenges faced by Muslim Americans across various sectors, including higher education. The surge in Islamophobic incidents, linked to the October 7, 2023, attacks and the ongoing genocide in Gaza, has severely impacted Muslim college students. Rather than feeling safe and supported, many have faced suppression of their free speech and have been penalized for opposing Israel’s actions and advocating for Palestinian rights. Unfortunately, this issue is not new, and many universities, administrators, and law enforcement have failed to offer the necessary support, leaving students feeling targeted and isolated.
This is CPHB and CAIR-CA’s second campus climate report, which evaluates the experiences of Muslim college and university students across both public and private institutions in California during the 2023-2024 academic year. This report aims to shed light on the lived experiences of Muslim students and the unique challenges they encounter, often due to their actual or perceived Muslim identities. Additionally, the report provides insight into how the October 7, 2023, attacks and the ongoing genocide in Gaza affected these students’ experiences.
This report is the sixth biennial bullying report published by the California Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-CA). These reports evaluate the current school climate for California Muslim students between the ages of 11 and 18.
CAIR California’s comprehensive overview of the civil rights and immigrants’ rights cases and legal advocacy efforts undertaken by the legal teams over the past year.
The report serves not only as a record of CAIR-CA’s achievements but also as a reminder of the ongoing challenges our community faces. CAIR remains committed to providing legal support, advocating for the rights of all individuals, and striving for justice in every case handled.
This report is the fifth biennial bullying report published by the California Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-CA). These reports evaluate the current school climate for California Muslim students between the ages of 11 and 18.
In this report, the California Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-CA) provides an analysis and evaluation of the current public school climate for American Muslims in California.
This report is the result of a 2018-2019 survey that examined how Muslim students felt about their school environment, how they express or maintain their Muslim identity, and the extent of anti-Muslim bullying and harassment students experience.
