Civil rights group calls on university officials to center victims in deciding disciplinary consequences against student whose actions reportedly led to death threats, harassment
(BALTIMORE, MD, 12/11/2024) – The Maryland office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) today announced that it has filed a Title IX complaint with the University of Maryland’s Office of Civil Rights (OCR) on behalf of two Muslim students who have reportedly received death threats and have been maliciously harassed after a former roommate allegedly recorded and posted a video online to a public social media account baselessly accusing them of antisemitism and revealing their private information, including their full names and place of employment, without consent. One doxxing video, which had amassed > 207k views, >15.5k likes, >800 comments and >3.3k. shares at the time of the filing of CAIR’s complaint, was posted by the former roommate after the students were cleared by university officials of the misconduct allegations made against them.
Reference: Case ID# 00042629
The former roommate, who has allegedly made anti-Palestinian comments and slurs, such as calling the students Hamas terrorists, and created a hostile and uncomfortable environment for the Muslim students during their temporary living arrangement, reportedly doxxed the students following an investigation conducted by the University of Maryland Office of Student Misconduct that concluded “a preponderance of the evidence did not substantiate” the complaint against the students.
CAIR is calling on university officials to center the victims in deciding disciplinary consequences against the former roommate for her alleged reckless endangerment of their safety and well-being. The civil rights organization is also working with lawmakers to introduce a bill in the 2025 session of the Maryland General Assembly that would impose stricter penalties for doxxing incidents.
In a statement, CAIR’s Maryland Director Zainab Chaudry said:
“Without any evidence or justification, this former roommate allegedly made false allegations in a public video revealing these students’ personal information, exposing them both to a barrage of harassment, hate and death threats. By reportedly posting these doxxing videos after the students were cleared by the university of any wrongdoing, she has jeopardized their lives and caused substantial mental and emotional anguish and hardship.
“The students have had to take security precautions, minimize their time on campus, change their activities of daily living, and minimize or erase their digital footprint by deactivating online accounts. This is impacting their education, and they are worried for their future because of this student’s irresponsible behavior. In order to support the victims of this alarming incident and prevent future incidents, university officials have a responsibility to promote student safety and demonstrate that they stand firmly against these kinds of alleged malicious and retaliatory actions.”
Last week, CAIR condemned the incident and called for an investigation and disciplinary action.
SEE: CAIR Condemns UMD Doxxing Incidents, Calls for Immediate Probe, Appropriate Disciplinary Action
CAIR encourages all students to familiarize themselves with the various forms of doxxing, a form of intimidation intended to silence speech by putting a person’s private information online, and report these incidents to administrators, law enforcement and CAIR.
SEE: ReThink Media’s Anti-Doxxing Resources
SEE ALSO: ReThink Media’s Training on Anti-Doxxing
CAIR has a long history of advocating for the rights of students and is offering support to those impacted. The organization urges anyone experiencing similar threats or harassment to report them to local authorities and CAIR’s civil rights team.
SEE: CAIR Know Your Rights as a Student Resource
SEE: CAIR Doxxing Toolkit 2024
CAIR Maryland calls for increased security and support resources for targeted students and encourages all those affected to report such incidents promptly. CAIR also renews its commitment to advocating for educational environments that are safe, inclusive, and conducive to the success of all students.
If you or someone you know has experienced a doxxing incident, CAIR-MD urges you to report it by contacting our office.
SEE: CAIR’s Report an Incident Form
CAIR is America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
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CONTACT: CAIR Maryland Director Zainab Chaudry, zchaudry@cair.com, 410-971-6062; CAIR Maryland Outreach Coordinator Kim Syuardi, ksyuardi@cair.com, 202-850-9293