Former Classmate Accuses 'Palestinian Rachel Dolezal' of Seeking Personal Gain

A former college associate of Hannah Gann, who recently admitted to falsely presenting herself as Black and Palestinian, stated that Gann was more interested in personal gain than in genuine activism.

The former UPenn classmate, who asked to remain anonymous, told The Post that Gann, a 35-year-old high school teacher, sought to "take advantage of vulnerable communities." The associate recalled Gann from their shared involvement in urban studies and public service programs at the University of Pennsylvania.

"The moment you start lying and perpetrating as if you’re somebody else, is when your whole point, your whole message, starts to fall flat," the former classmate said. "If you truly care about the cause more so than about personal gain, then that’s just what it is."

The former student added, "She definitely wasn’t black. There were a lot of Jewish students at Penn during my time and even in my program that looked like her — light skin, curly dark hair." The UPenn graduate, who was involved with the college's Black Cultural Center, stated she did not recall Gann being a part of that community.

Gann issued an apology on Instagram after being confronted by fellow activists. In her apology, she admitted to having no Black or Palestinian ancestry and revealed she is a white Israeli with relatives in the West Bank. This revelation followed years of her active involvement in pro-Palestinian advocacy, during which she made statements such as defending Hamas and calling for protests on American streets.

Accuracy in Media had previously branded Gann as "Philadelphia’s Leading Antisemite" for her activism. Gann's former allies have since severed ties with her.

"I can’t speak to her motivation. But it seems like she just tried to take advantage of vulnerable communities because she got involved and couldn’t fully engage in the ways that she wanted based on her identity," Gann’s former classmate commented. "There’s this cultural blackwashing that happens when [people] meet certain cultures and they want to be involved, and they end up wanting the benefits of being of another race without the drawbacks of it, and that’s part of what makes it even more corrupt."

Gann has been widely referred to on social media as the "Palestinian Rachel Dolezal," referencing the former NAACP chapter leader who was exposed for falsely claiming to be Black. The school district has not yet commented on potential repercussions for Gann's actions.