The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today called on Oregon school officials to take appropriate disciplinary action against a public school teacher whose reported anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant social media posts have sparked outrage among parents and community members.
According to local media reports, parents in Springfield, Oregon, are demanding accountability after a series of inflammatory Facebook posts by the teacher surfaced. One post, which has since been deleted, reportedly said: “Time for a new crusade. Kill all illegals and Muslims.”
In a statement, Washington, D.C., based CAIR said:
“Educators are entrusted with the responsibility of fostering respectful, inclusive classrooms in which all students feel safe and valued. Publicly posting anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant rhetoric violates that trust and raises legitimate concerns about whether affected students can expect fair and unbiased treatment. The school district should take appropriate disciplinary actions based on the facts in this disturbing case.
“We urge school districts across the country to implement strong anti-discrimination policies, provide cultural competency training for staff and respond swiftly when credible allegations of bias arise.”
CAIR noted that incidents of Islamophobia and other forms of hate targeting students continue to occur nationwide.
Last week, CAIR’s Maryland office and the Montgomery County Muslim Council condemned Islamophobic and hate-based graffiti discovered at Walt Whitman High School in Bethesda, Maryland.
CAIR offers a booklet, called “An Educator’s Guide to Islamic Religious Practices,” designed to help school officials provide a positive learning environment for Muslim students.
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CONTACT: CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, e-Mitchell@cair.com; CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, rmccaw@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Manager Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, iallison@cair.com