Seattle Public Schools has formally “initiated the process to terminate” Ian Golash, a self-identified communist who was a history teacher and former social studies department chair at Chief Sealth International High School. Golash was previously placed on paid administrative leave after publicly justifying the October 7 Palestinian terrorist attacks on Israel and denying verified reports of rape and beheadings committed by the group.

Golash, an anti-police activist, has a documented history of antisemitic behavior and has displayed images glorifying terrorists in his classroom. A district spokesperson told The Ari Hoffman Show on Talk Radio 570 KVI, “Seattle Public Schools has initiated the process to terminate Ian Golash’s employment. Golash has exercised their right to appeal the decision, and that process is now underway. They will remain on administrative leave until their appeal is finalized.”

The move follows mounting public scrutiny and new revelations from Golash’s father, Mike Golash, who posted on Facebook that his son had been targeted for taking his class outside to confront a mobile billboard from the advocacy group Accuracy in Media (AIM) that called out Golash for his antisemitism in the classroom.

Mike Golash wrote, “After a year and a half of investigating Ian, the Seattle School Board has decided to terminate Ian as a school teacher. The reason for the termination is that Ian brought his students out to talk to a person who had brought an electronic billboard to the school, attacking Ian as being anti-Semitic. As world wide opposition to Israel’s genocide in Gaza continues to grow, the US ruling class is attempting to stop or intimidate all opposition.”

He added, “Netanyahu is a war criminal. Join the fight against genocide.”

He posted the comment on an op-ed he had previously shared in 2024 from the far-left South Seattle Emerald, penned by radical Seattle Public Schools educators calling for Golash’s reinstatement. Some of the op-ed’s authors had been charged with blocking I-5 in downtown Seattle for over six hours on January 6, 2024, preventing emergency vehicles and motorists from passing.

The incident referenced by Golash’s father occurred in 2024, when AIM’s president, Adam Guillette, confronted the teacher outside Chief Sealth. Golash openly endorsed the Hamas attacks, telling Guillette, “Yes,” when asked if the October 7 massacre was justified.

When Guillette followed up by asking, “The rape of women at a music festival was justified?” Golash dismissed well-documented evidence — including videos from Hamas, reports from Israeli authorities, US intelligence, and the United Nations, and responded, “Where’s the evidence that there was rape?”

Golash also claimed that the murder of Israeli women was acceptable, stating, “Resistance against Israel is justified.”

His remarks sparked widespread outrage and prompted Seattle Public Schools to review his conduct.

Golash first drew public attention in December 2023, when he failed a student for stating that men cannot get pregnant. A dive into his background after the story broke revealed his criminal background, including multiple arrests in Oregon for assault, criminal harassment, and violating parole, with a conviction for harassment. He also has a trespassing and harassment charge in Washington.

Golash was also among the plaintiffs in a lawsuit against Seattle, King County, and Washington state over the 2020 George Floyd riots. He received a six-figure settlement after a driver fatally struck a protester on I-5 — a freeway demonstrators had illegally blocked. During the unrest, Golash led student protesters into the King County Jail and attempted to obstruct news cameras.

As of last year, Golash was teaching “Ethnic Studies World History” to 10th graders, chairing the social studies department, and serving as Chief Sealth’s representative to the Seattle Education Association — the teachers’ union that recently passed a resolution supporting Hamas.

Following the October 7 attacks, in which Hamas murdered over 1,200 people, injured thousands, and took more than 200 hostages, Golash took to Facebook to post:

“This is what I understand. Correct me if I’m wrong… With evidence, please… On October 7-9… Hamas didn’t behead anyone. Hamas didn’t rape anyone.”

He continued, “The bodies found charred beyond recognition were made that way either by Israeli tanks, missiles or helicopter gunships… Hamas soldiers were not carrying weapons that could do that kind of damage…”

Golash then speculated without evidence that Israel was responsible for the civilian deaths, writing, “A body looks very different once it’s been vaporized by a Hellfire missile or an explosive tank round as opposed to being set on fire with, say, gasoline…”

In another post, Golash falsely accused Israel of targeting its own civilians writing, “Israel chose to obliterate Israeli civilians, including at least one child, in their efforts to kill Hamas militants… also, f*ck Hamas, f*ck Israel, I’m a communist.”

He also praised Yasser Arafat, the late leader of the Palestinian Liberation Organization, responsible for numerous terrorist attacks.

Chief Sealth’s principal, Ray Garcia Morales, sent an email to parents at the time, stating the administration was “looking into the situation” in response to multiple inquiries about class content. Those inquiries intensified after Golash’s online posts defending Hamas and endorsing Antifa and the “abolish the police” movement were uncovered. He reportedly adorned his classroom walls with posters glorifying terrorists and falsely claimed that Israel was responsible for the deaths of its own citizens during the Hamas attacks.

Golash’s appeal is ongoing. Until it concludes, he remains on paid administrative leave.