Five-year-old Muslim student allegedly harassed for months, choked by teacher in North Carolina

Rasa - The Muslim civil rights organization Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has called for an immediate and thorough investigation into allegations that a five-year-old kindergarten student was harassed and assaulted by a school teacher.

News ID: 425505

Date: 03 December 2016 - 23:43

RNA - The Muslim civil rights organization Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has called for an immediate and thorough investigation into allegations that a five-year-old kindergarten student was harassed and assaulted by a school teacher. The child attended the David Cox Road Elementary School in Charlotte, North Carolina, and according to the complaint, months of harassment targeting the child as being a “bad Muslim” culminated in an assault on the five-year-old.

“During the first two months of the school year, [the Muslim student] was subjected to relentless bullying and harassment not only by his classmates, but by [the teacher]. For example, she would routinely single out [the student] from his classmates and require him to carry a heavy backpack throughout the day. The backpack contained a large textbook and headphones, which caused [the student] to develop significant back pain. . .[The teacher] would also treat [the student] harshly and reportedly called him ‘bad Muslim boy’ on multiple occasions. . .

“On November 16, 2016, [the teacher] reportedly approached [the student]. . .grabbed him by the neck and began choking him. [Another teacher] then separated the two and began consoling [the student] who was crying and extremely shaken.”

These allegations were announced to the public just before Thanksgiving.

In a statement, Charlotte Mecklenburg School officials said the district is "committed to the safety and well-being of all students," and that allegations are currently under investigation.

The attorney for the 5-year-old student said he hasn't returned to school since the alleged choking incident.

You can watch a news report about the incident below.

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