On Thursday, June 4, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, plans to hold a press conference to announce the filing of a lawsuit challenging Virginia’s Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) and the Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology decision to investigate and suspend Muslim and Arab students for participating in a viral video trend while not punishing other students who participated in the same or similar trends.
The lawsuit alleges that the school’s discriminatory actions violate the First and Fourteenth Amendments, as well as Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Video: CAIR Demands Virginia School Reinstate Muslim Students Targeted Over Skit
WHEN: Thursday, June 4, 2026, 10 AM ET
WHERE: Media outlets interested in attending in-person can contact CAIR Programs Manager David Rodriguez (d-rodriguez@cair.com) for the location of the press conference. Only verified media outlets will be approved for entry.
LIVESTREAM: https://www.facebook.com/CAIRNational
CONTACT: Ahmad Kaki, CAIR Staff Attorney, (202) 640-4935, akaki@cair.com; CAIR National Senior Litigation Attorney Gadeir Abbas, 720-251-0425, gabbas@cair.com
BACKGROUNDER:
In October 2025, the Muslim Student Association (MSA) at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology created a video to encourage students to attend their upcoming event. The video followed a viral trend used across the country, including by other student organizations in the Fairfax County Public Schools.
Following backlash and threats made against the students, the school condemned the video as “antisemitic,” opened an investigation against the students involved, and ultimately suspended them.
Fairfax County Public Schools did not punish or even investigate any other student groups who made similar or identical videos. This incident showcases a trend of schools across the nation disproportionately disciplining Muslim students and failing to protect them from Islamophobic threats.
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: Ahmad Kaki, CAIR Staff Attorney, (202) 640-4935, akaki@cair.com; CAIR National Senior Litigation Attorney Gadeir Abbas, 720-251-0425, gabbas@cair.com; 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