The Greater Los Angeles Area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-LA) today welcomed the censure of a Metropolitan Water District (MWD) Board Member for making a racist remark toward an Arab American staff member last year. CAIR-LA also called on the MWD Board of Directors to address broader concerns of Islamophobic and anti-Arab sentiment from sitting board members.
SEE: Metropolitan board of directors censures board colleague for racist remark
The MWD Board of Directors voted to censure board member John Morris after an independent Equal Employment Opportunity investigation into an anonymous complaint found he used the derogatory term “camel jockey” to refer to an Arab American staff member during a board event in December 2023.
The board also voted to prohibit Morris from representing MWD at any events, cease funding for his travel on behalf of the company, and require him to attend counseling.
CAIR-LA previously sent two letters, one in July and one in October, to the MWD Board of Directors expressing concerns of broader discrimination after they put the company’s first Muslim Arab American general manager, Adel Hagekhalil, on administrative leave.
Hagekhalil alleged that he was subjected to discriminatory actions and behavior from MWD board members and faced retaliatory complaints and investigations in an alleged attempt to undermine his position.
In the letters, CAIR-LA called on the board to address the potential discrimination against Hagekhalil and ensure he was not treated unfairly because of his protected categories.
In a statement, CAIR-LA Legal Director Amr Shabaik, Esq., said:
“While we welcome this decision from the MWD Board of Directors to censure Morris as a step in the right direction, it does not necessarily indicate that all the issues and all the concerns have been addressed, including allegations that other sitting board members have expressed Islamophobic, anti-Arab, and anti-immigrant sentiment. The board must thoroughly investigate and address the broader claims of harassment and bigotry and take active steps to ensure that MWD employees are not subjected to discrimination, regardless of their background.”
CAIR-LA is Southern California’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice and empower American Muslims.
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CONTACT: CAIR-LA Digital Communications Manager Enjy El-Kadi, (714) 851-4851 or eelkadi@cair.com; CAIR-LA Communications Coordinator Madi Morse-Hameed, mmorse-hameed@cair.com