The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today welcomed an arrest of a suspect in an allegedly bias-motivated spitting attack on a Muslim woman in Kentucky.
CAIR recently called on local, state and federal law enforcement authorities to investigate the attack as a hate crime.
The alleged victim, a worker at Golisano Children’s at UK hospital in Lexington, Kentucky, who wears an Islamic head scarf (hijab), reported that she was walking back to her car yesterday after work at the hospital when she felt spit splatter felt spit splattered across my face, followed by the words, “That’s how I feel about people like you.” The alleged attacker then reportedly shouted that he would kill her.
The victim recorded a post-attack video of the alleged assailant.
Police arrested 52-year-old Damian Hisle and charged him with harassment and terroristic threatening
In a statement, Washington, D.C.-based CAIR said:
“We welcome the arrest in this disturbing allegedly bias-motivated attack and will monitor the case as it moves through the legal system. No one should be subjected to harassment, assault or threats because of their faith or religious attire. We commend the victim for documenting the incident and coming forward, and we urge law enforcement authorities to continue taking this case – and all similar cases – seriously.”
BACKGROUNDER: CAIR recently responded to a number of anti-Muslim hate incidents nationwide.
CAIR’s Maryland office condemned the reported harassment of multiple Muslim women wearing Islamic headscarves, or hijabs, at a market in Montgomery County.
CAIR’s Los Angeles office recently condemned the violent online threats responding to an online anti-Muslim smear campaign targeting the Islamic Center of Irvine (ICOI).
In New York, CAIR called on local, state and federal law enforcement authorities to investigate reported hate vandalism targeting a mosque site on Long Island as a possible hate crime.
CAIR’s Florida chapter welcomed charges for an alleged plot to carry out a mass shooting at a mosque.
Its Michigan chapter welcomed federal charges against an Alaska man accused of making threats to injure and murder Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud and issuing violent, Islamophobic threats against Muslims.
Its Pittsburgh and Philadelphia chapters welcomed the City of Erie’s response to reported threats targeting the local Muslim community and urged authorities to remain vigilant in protecting residents from anti-Muslim hate and intimidation.
CAIR also welcomed the federal indictment of a Utah man on a hate crime charge for allegedly stabbing a Muslim man at the West Valley Mall in West Valley City, Utah.
CAIR’s latest civil rights report documented 8,683 anti-Muslim bias complaints in 2025 – the highest number ever recorded by the organization since it began publishing civil rights reports in 1996.
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CONTACT: CAIR Research and Advocacy Director Corey Saylor, 202-384-8857; CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, [email protected]; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, [email protected]; CAIR National Communications Manager Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, [email protected]