US teacher put on leave for allegedly calling Palestinian children extremists
Kanishka Singh
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A Pennsylvania public teacher has been suspended for allegedly calling a Palestinian-American middle school student an extremist, the school district and a Muslim advocacy group said.
why it’s important
Human rights advocates say there has been a rise in anti-Muslim, anti-Palestinian and anti-Semitic hatred in the United States since Israel launched a war in Gaza on October 7, 2023, following an attack by the Palestinian militant group Hamas.
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Key Quotes
The Central Dauphin School District said Saturday it was aware of allegations that the teacher made derogatory remarks at an extracurricular activity last week.
“The teacher involved in the alleged incident is on administrative leave pending our investigation,” the district said in a statement, adding that the district will not tolerate racist comments.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations said the complaint alleges that when the Palestinian-American student asked to change seats, the teacher said, “I don’t negotiate with terrorists.”
The school district and CAIR did not release the name of the teacher or student. CAIR said it has been in contact with the child’s parents.
context
Recent incidents involving children in the United States include the attempted drowning of a 3-year-old Palestinian-American girl in Texas and the stabbing death of a 6-year-old Palestinian-American boy in Illinois.
Other incidents include the stabbing of a Palestinian-American man in Texas, the beating of a Muslim man in New York, mob violence against pro-Palestinian protesters in California and the shooting deaths of three Palestinian-American students in Vermont.
Incidents that have raised alarms about anti-Semitism include violent threats against Jews at Cornell University that resulted in convictions and sentences, an unsuccessful plot to attack a Jewish center in New York City, and the attacks on a Jew in Michigan, a rabbi in Maryland, and two A personal attack by a Jew.
(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by William Mallard)
