Beverly Hills Unified School District at war as parents fight over politics

Beverly Hills’ school board has become a battleground for furious parents, political feuds, legal threats and a fight over a memoir detailing childhood sexual abuse.The bitter showdown in the wealthy Los Angeles suburb has featured dueling restraining-order petitions, accusations of smear campaigns and even a mystery involving allegedly stolen campaign signs and a white Tesla with a ski rack, the Wall Street Journal reported.At the center of the fight is a Nov.3 election that could upend the Beverly Hills Unified School District board, where Democrats Jackie Kruger and Kim Lifschitz are challenging incumbent board President Judy Manouchehri and the conservative majority they oppose.

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By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.Never miss a story Kruger, 47, and Manouchehri, 46, are both attorneys and mothers of three.

Their feud boiled over during a board meeting when Kruger threatened to sue before security escorted her out.“You got to do what you got to do, baby,” Manouchehri shot back, according to the Journal.The race has become a proxy war over national politics, school governance and cultural flashpoints in a community that historically leaned Democratic but shifted toward President Trump in 2024.Manouchehri’s supporters say she has been targeted by an online campaign because of a cost-cutting reorganization she led.She maintains that the changes are improving the district and test scores have risen.“There are a lot of parents who support Judy, love Judy, but are afraid to speak up,” Ellie Kadz, a marketing executive and mother of three, said.The board’s decisions have also ignited disputes over Israel and LGBTQ+ representation.

In 2025, members voted to display Israeli flags in schools for a month each year as part of an antisemitism resolution.The superintendent later...