Maplewood Teacher Accused Of Pulling Hijab Off Student’s Head
MAPLEWOOD, NJ — The South Orange-Maplewood School District said in a statement that it’s investigating an allegation that an elementary school teacher “forcibly” removed a student’s hijab during class on Wednesday.
The matter came to light Thursday after Olympic fencer and Maplewood native Ibtihaj Muhammad posted on Facebook that an elementary school teacher in Maplewood had “forcibly” removed a student’s hijab the day before.
Muhammad wrote: “Yesterday…a teacher at Seth Boyden Elementary in Maplewood, NJ forcibly removed the hijab of a second grade student. The young student resisted by trying to hold onto her hijab, but the teacher pulled the hijab off, exposing her hair to the class. [The teacher] told the student that her hair was beautiful and she did not have to wear hijab to school anymore.”
Muhammad, the author of a book about wearing a hijab, added, “I wrote this book with the intention that moments like this would never happen again. When will it stop?”
The hijab is a veil worn by Muslim women.
The school district released this statement Thursday night, noting that they were only aware of the allegation via social media, but were investigating:
District Statement Regarding Allegation of Discrimination
Today, we were made aware of an allegation of discrimination and immediately began an investigation. The District takes matters of discrimination extremely seriously.
This evening, we were alerted to social media posts related to the allegations. Social Media is not a reliable forum for due process and the staff member(s) involved are entitled to due process before any action is taken.
We must abide by our legal obligations to keep personnel and student matters confidential. We will utilize the existing District due process mechanisms to ensure fair and just outcomes based upon the results of our investigation. Any decision or outcome related to this will be reserved for after the completion of the investigation.
We remain committed to diversity, equity and inclusion throughout our schools including providing anti-bias and anti-racism training for all educators in the district on a regular basis. We put the words into action as exemplified by our adoption of an intentional integration plan, creation of an Assistant Superintendent position focused on Access & Equity and engagement with outside equity experts.
Regardless of the results of the investigation, we are committed to restorative practices to help our students, staff and families process the social-emotional harms done.
Post Shared 700 Times
Muhammad’s Facebook post drew more than 200 comments and was shared on Facebook more than 700 times by Friday morning. She encouraged people to email the school district.
Watch Maplewood Patch for further developments.
SOURCE: https://patch.com/new-jersey/maplewood/maplewood-probes-whether-teacher-removed-students-hijab-reports