SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A Sacramento museum is facing criticism after a post on Instagram accused museum leaders of banning employees from wearing a traditional Palestinian scarf, called a keffiyeh, saying it is too political.
ABC10 heard from community members, asking for clarification on this story, so our team looked into the controversy and sought answers.
The SMUD Museum of Science and Curiosity (MOSAC) in Sacramento is the subject of an Instagram post Monday by the account @ChangeTheMuseum, whose account bio said it pressures “US museums to move beyond lip service proclamations by amplifying tales of unchecked racism.”
Monday’s post told the story of an anonymous employee and said it has this employee’s permission to do so. It says, in part:
“I work at the Museum of Science and Curiosity… Last month, an Arab staff member wore a Palestinian keffiyeh to work and was advised by a director to ‘reconsider’ their clothing choice. The next week, more coworkers donned keffiyehs in support of these actions and to stand up for Palestinians who are being dehumanized, starved, and bombed relentlessly. Those employees were each pulled into private meetings and interrogated about the keffiyehs, what it meant to them, and were reprimanded for hurting the feelings of an Israeli director… Soon after, a new policy prohibiting ‘clothing, apparel, or other visible symbols that make a political statement’ was sent to all staff by email without context.”
The post goes on to describe several employees feeling uncomfortable with the policy and asking how it would be applied equitably. The full statement can be read HERE.
ABC10 reached out to MOSAC, asking them to confirm these events and explain the actions leadership took.
In a statement, the museum told ABC10:
“MOSAC's highest priority is to maintain a safe and respectful environment where our employees and guests can engage in science, learning, and fun. We do not tolerate discrimination of any kind and we evaluate and update our policies regularly to ensure the museum is inclusive and welcoming for all.”
MOSAC also sent ABC10 their “Policy on Respectful Work Environment,” which says, in part, “In order to continue to create a safe, respectful, inclusive and thriving environment that is welcoming for all staff and visitors, staff will not be allowed to wear or display clothing, apparel, or other visible symbols that make a political statement while on MOSAC property. With conflicts happening throughout the world, and the political season that is upon us, it’s especially important that we all respect each others’ beliefs and not use the workplace as a platform to promote them.”
Yassar Dahbour is chair of Palestine American League and lives in Elk Grove. He called the MOSAC employees’ experience, “another example of culture of censorship and cancelation and silencing.”
A Palestinian keffiyeh, he said, is both a political statement and a cultural piece of clothing.
“We do recognize different workplaces require different dress code. Nonetheless, a decent attire like this to be worn in a mindful way shouldn't be interfering with the workplace, and we should be encouraging the diversity in the workplace,” he said, gesturing to the Palestinian keffiyeh he wore during the interview.
He said he believes telling employees they can’t wear a keffiyeh in the workplace is suppression of free speech.
“I encourage people to actually stand up for themselves and to fight it off, because this is freedom of expression,” he said.
The local chapter of the Council on American Islamic-Relations (CAIR) told ABC10 they are in touch with that staff member to offer support through the services they provide.
ABC10 also checked in with the City and County of Sacramento, as well as SMUD, all of which played pivotal roles in getting MOSAC built over the better part of two decades. They directed us back to the museum leadership, saying the museum now operates independently from all of them and they have no part in the museum’s operations.
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