WASHINGTON 鈥� A Fairfax County, Virginia, teacher has been placed on leave after a student said the teacher pulled the hijab from her head in school.
The student, who goes to Lake Braddock Secondary School, in Burke, said on Twitter that the teacher came up from behind her while she was talking with a friend, pulled the scarf off her head and then said 鈥淥h, your hair is so pretty,鈥� according to the Council on American-Islamic Relations.
Fairfax County Public Schools said in a statement that they are investigating the allegation, and that the teacher has been put on leave. They added that 鈥渢he teacher’s action was inappropriate and unacceptable鈥� and that the 鈥渁dministration has apologized to the student and her family.鈥�
In the series of tweets, the student said the teacher tried 鈥渢o play it off like it鈥檚 a joke.鈥� She said she was 鈥渋nfuriated, upset and mostly shocked.鈥� She also described the teacher as 鈥渁 teacher I appreciated and valued.鈥�
CAIR said that they 鈥渨elcomed鈥� the decision to place the teacher on leave, 鈥渂ut further disciplinary action needs to be taken based on the results of the investigation into this disturbing incident,鈥� National Executive Director Nihad Awad said in a statement.
CAIR spokesman Ibrahim Hooper said that a similar incident in Tennessee cost a teacher a job. 鈥淚t鈥檚 really a disturbing phenomenon, that people going to school, going about their daily lives, are now subject to this kind of harassment and attack. 鈥� This is happening nationwide, and should be addressed with a nationwide response.鈥�
Hooper said that removing a student鈥檚 hijab is 鈥渟imilar to removing somebody鈥檚 shirt or pants or any other article of clothing that works to provide modesty for that individual. It鈥檚 an extremely disturbing kind of religious insult and offense, and it鈥檚 something that no student, or anyone in our society, should be subjected to.鈥�
He added that such an attack 鈥渃ould be considered a hate crime.鈥� He added that he hoped the school system would make the incident 鈥渁 teaching moment.鈥� CAIR has reached out to the student鈥檚 family, but hasn鈥檛 heard back yet.
小萝莉影视’s Michelle Basch contributed to this report.
