Activist Exposed for Faking Identity and Wealthy Background
WHO:
NBC News - Hannah Gann, a white Philadelphia teacher and activist.
NBC News - Keziah Ridgeway, another Philadelphia teacher and friend of Gann.
NBC News - Philly Palestine Coalition, a group Gann was involved with.
NBC News - Philly Educators for Palestine and Racial Justice Organizing Committee, organizations that issued a statement regarding Gann.
WHAT:
NBC News - Gann stated, “I still believe in every cause I ever supported, in the ongoing fight for justice, and in the righteousness of liberation for all oppressed peoples.”
NBC News - Gann referred to herself as the “Palestinian Rachel Dolezal” in her video.
NBC News - Ridgeway said Gann deceived her over their nearly decade-long friendship, claiming Gann had told her she had Palestinian Jewish ancestry and Muslim relatives only in 2023.
NBC News - Gann's admission of lying occurred in a statement posted to her Instagram last week, and she declined to comment further to NBC News, referring back to her video as her only public statement.
NBC News - The Philly Palestine Coalition planned to release a statement after meeting on a Sunday following Labor Day, which was confirmed by Ridgeway.
NBC News - Gann stated, “There is not a single person on this planet, no friend, no fellow organizer, no one in my family, no professional connection, no secret op or handler who knew what I was doing.”
NBC News - Gann claimed her father’s father died when her father was 13, but Ridgeway stated he actually died when her father was 23.
NBC News - The Philly Palestine Coalition planned to release a statement after meeting on a Sunday following Labor Day.
NBC News - The coalition's report found Gann had family living in Israel.
NBC News - Gann admitted to lying about her identity, falsely claiming Palestinian and Black heritage.
NBC News - Gann described herself as a “white woman of significant privilege and wealth.”
NBC News - Gann stated, “I hid my family’s background from everyone in Philly.”
NBC News - The coalition's report found Gann's claimed Palestinian grandfather was actually born in Baltimore.
NBC News - The organizations stated they would no longer work with Gann and that she was not welcome in their spaces.
WHERE:
NBC News - Gann is identified as a teacher at the Workshop School, a Philadelphia School District high school.
NBC News - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where Gann worked and lived.
NY Post - Gann grew up in a $1.8 million house in one of the wealthiest towns in America.
WHEN:
NBC News - Gann's deception was revealed after a message was sent to Ridgeway on Labor Day.
NBC News - Gann's admission of lying occurred in a statement posted to her Instagram last week.
WHY:
NBC News - The organizations stated they were “stunned, saddened and angered by this betrayal” after meeting with Gann and questioning her background.
NBC News - Gann claimed she was trying to take accountability for her actions and asked that no one judge the groups she worked with based on her lies.
HOW:
NY Post - Critics accused Gann of using a "blaccent" and makeup to hide her true identity in her Instagram videos.
NBC News - The organizations asked Gann to publicly acknowledge that she “is a white woman of Jewish heritage and an Israeli settler family.”
NBC News - Gann deceived her friends and colleagues about her background for years, claiming to have Palestinian Jewish ancestry and Muslim relatives.
(UPDATED September 23, 2026 22:59 UTC)
In a recent statement, Gann expressed her unwavering belief in the causes she has supported, emphasizing the fight for justice and liberation for all oppressed peoples. She referred to herself as the "Palestinian Rachel Dolezal" in a video, while her friend Ridgeway accused her of deception regarding her ancestry, claiming Gann only revealed her Palestinian Jewish background and Muslim relatives in 2023. Critics have also taken issue with Gann's use of a "blaccent" and makeup in her Instagram videos, suggesting she was attempting to obscure her true identity.
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(UPDATED September 23, 2026 21:00 UTC)
In a recent statement, Gann claimed that no one, including family or friends, was aware of her actions, which has raised eyebrows among various organizations. During a meeting, these groups expressed their shock and anger over what they described as a betrayal after questioning Gann about her background, including her family ties to Israel. They have requested that Gann publicly acknowledge her identity as a white woman of Jewish heritage from an Israeli settler family.
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(UPDATED September 23, 2026 19:00 UTC)
In a significant revelation, Philadelphia teacher and activist Hannah Gann admitted to lying about her identity, falsely claiming Palestinian and Black heritage, while describing herself as a “white woman of significant privilege and wealth.” Following her admission, which she shared in a statement on Instagram last week, the Philly Palestine Coalition and other organizations she was involved with announced they would no longer work with her, stating she was not welcome in their spaces. Gann's deception came to light after a message was sent to her friend Keziah Ridgeway on Labor Day, revealing that her claimed Palestinian grandfather was actually born in Baltimore.