The Maryland office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today strongly condemned alleged discriminatory conduct by a Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) teacher against a Muslim Palestinian student, and called on the school system to immediately remove her from all student contact pending the outcome of an investigation into the troubling allegations.
According to a complaint received by CAIR and eyewitness accounts, on March 3, 2026, a teacher at John T. Baker Middle School reportedly directed inflammatory, offensive and deeply inappropriate remarks at a 14-year-old Palestinian Muslim student during a routine classroom interaction, including asking whether the student was going to “blow [her] up,” invoking harmful stereotypes tied to global violence and terrorism.
CAIR denounces the reported remarks as egregious, dehumanizing, and rooted in dangerous Islamophobic and anti-Palestinian tropes.
“This type of conduct is inconsistent with professional standards and reflects a troubling stereotype that targets a child based on their identity,” said CAIR’s Maryland Director Zainab Chaudry. “This incident has taken a significant mental and emotional toll on this student and family, and led to several missed days from school. Educators are in positions of authority, and have a responsibility to ensure safe, non-biased learning environments. No student should be profiled, dehumanized, or criminalized especially in a school setting. Until this matter is resolved, CAIR is seeking basic, common-sense measures by the school system to protect the safety and well-being of this child and other students.”
CAIR confirmed that MCPS has reopened its investigation into the incident following a March 31 meeting involving district leadership, the student’s family, school administrator, and CAIR. However, the organization stressed that an ongoing investigation alone is not sufficient to protect students, and that immediate, non-punitive administrative action is a necessary safeguard.
Following discussions with the family, CAIR today formally called on MCPS to:
- Immediately remove the teacher from all direct student access pending the outcome of the investigation;
- Conduct a prompt, thorough, and impartial investigation into the allegations;
- Provide written confirmation of interim safety measures and a clear timeline for resolution.
News of this incident has spread beyond the class and has raised concerns about the short and long-term impact of such alleged conduct on students navigating identity, belonging, and safety within public schools in today’s tense political climate.
This is one of a several anti-Palestinian and/or anti-Muslim incidents reported within the school system this year.
Last week, CAIR called on called on Olney Elementary School (OES) to provide clarification and transparency regarding concerns raised by a recent school communication about its “Culture Night” event.
Earlier this year, violent Islamophobic and anti-Palestinian graffiti was discovered spray painted on the exterior wall of MCPS’ Walt Whitman High School.
The civil rights organization has also provided advocacy support in several other complaints.
Federal and state civil rights laws prohibit discrimination based on religion and national origin, and schools have a legal and moral obligation to uphold these protections.
“This is about more than one incident. It is about whether Muslim and Palestinian students can walk into their classrooms without fear of being targeted or stereotyped,” added Chaudry. “MCPS has the opportunity to act decisively to demonstrate that they are committed to the well-being of all their students.”
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 Maryland Director Zainab Chaudry, zchaudry@cair.com, 410-971-6062; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Manager Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, iallison@cair.com