(PHILADELPHIA, P.A., 1/17/2025) — The Philadelphia chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Philadelphia) today called for a thorough disciplinary investigation into a teacher who reportedly responded to a Palestinian-American 7th grade student’s request to change his seat in the class by saying “I do not negotiate with terrorists.” The incident reportedly took place at Central Dauphin Middle School in Harrisburg.
CAIR-Philadelphia is in touch with the parents who are also initiating an educator misconduct filing with the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE).
“The teacher’s alleged racist, anti-Palestinian verbal assault effectively makes her unfit to teach any students,” said CAIR-Philadelphia Executive Director Dr. Ahmet Tekelioglu. “We call on Central Dauphin School District to swiftly conclude its investigation and depart ways with this teacher. There is no scenario where the student who was verbally assaulted, his family, or our community will feel safe at Central Dauphin School District if this teacher is allowed to interact with students. We commend the student for conveying his experience to his family and the family’s strong and decisive stance on such a traumatic experience.”
The Philadelphia-based Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization is also calling for diversity training for all school staff using CAIR-Philadelphia’s “An Educator’s Guide to Islamic Religious Practices,” which is designed to help school officials provide a positive learning environment for Muslim students.
SEE: An Educator’s Guide to Islamic Religious Practices
A November 2023 report by CAIR’s California office revealed that Muslim students are bullied at twice the rate as of national statistic.
CAIR-CA Report: More Than Half of Muslim Students in California Experience Bullying, Discrimination
CAIR-Philadelphia said it has witnessed an unprecedented increase in hate incidents targeting American Muslims and members of other minority groups since Israel’s war on Gaza started.
The Philadelphia-based civil rights and advocacy organization urges community members to report any bias incidents to police and to CAIR-Philadelphia’s Civil Rights Department by filing a report at: pa.cair.com/report
CAIR is America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
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CONTACT: CAIR-Philadelphia Executive Director Ahmet Selim Tekelioglu, PhD; 617-401-5397 (mobile), atekelioglu@cair.com.
