Zuckerberg and wife accused of running illegal school inside home
What's the story
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan have been accused of running an unlicensed school in their Palo Alto home. The alleged institution, dubbed the "Bicken Ben School" after a pet chicken, has been operating since 2021 without city permission. Neighbors have complained that the school violates zoning laws meant for residential use only.
Public sentiment
Accusations of favoritism
Some residents have even accused city officials of giving Zuckerberg special treatment. One neighbor wrote to Palo Alto authorities, "You have not earned our trust. Any solution that depends on good faith from this property owner is a failure from the beginning." Despite these allegations, a Palo Alto spokesperson said all zoning and safety laws are enforced consistently, regardless of property ownership.
Ongoing controversy
School 'relocated' instead of shutting down
By March 2025, authorities had reportedly asked the Zuckerberg family to shut down the unpermitted school by June 30. While neighbors claim it stopped operating that summer, a spokesperson for Zuckerberg said it hadn't closed but moved instead. The new location of the school is still unknown. Over the years, residents have also raised concerns about noise, construction work, private security measures and traffic caused by this large compound.
Resident complaints
Tensions escalate as complaints mount
For nearly a decade, residents have been dealing with constant construction work, expanding security operations, and growing noise levels at the Zuckerberg estate. The Meta founder had reportedly acquired 11 properties in the area to build his massive compound. This included private guards who followed city inspectors around. When formal complaints about the school reached city officials in 2024, tensions boiled over with one neighbor urging the city to issue a cease-and-desist order.
Compromise rejected
Legal wrangling and proposed solutions
In a bid to defuse the situation, Palo Alto planning director Jonathan Lait had proposed a "nuanced solution" that would allow some educational activities to continue temporarily. However, this proposal was met with resistance from residents who questioned if they would be given the same courtesy for violating city code for over four years. Behind closed doors, Zuckerberg's legal team tried to keep the school open by arguing that classes were "appropriate residential use."