San Francisco: Muslim Girl in Middle School Assaulted by Peers
The incident, which occurred on October 25, left the victim with a concussion.
The young girl described being punched in the back of her head by one of the alleged assailants, causing her to fall to the ground. While she was on the ground, the perpetrators verbally abused her using derogatory slurs based on her Muslim identity. One of the attackers proceeded to hit her multiple times in the chest and ribs, KTVU reported.
"It makes me feel really sad," she said, linking the attack to the ongoing war between the Israeli regime and Hamas in and around the Gaza Strip.
She was able to identify her attackers as fellow students by looking at a yearbook.
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Following the incident, the victim's mother reported it to the school's vice principal on October 26. During a subsequent meeting, she provided the names of the alleged attackers. The mother also shared concerns that one of the students had been inquiring about her daughter's address and bus routes.
Zahra Billoo, the executive director of the San Francisco Bay Area office of the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR-SFBA), emphasized the need for swift action from the school. Billoo highlighted the attackers' use of anti-Muslim slurs, indicating that they were aware of the victim's religious identity.
While the San Francisco Unified School District confirmed their investigation into the incident, Billoo expressed disappointment in their response. She insisted that immediate action was necessary to ensure the safety of the young girl, as well as other Arab and Muslim students.
In response, the school district stressed that hate has no place in the community and will not be tolerated. They emphasized that the incident occurred outside of school hours and off campus. Nonetheless, they reiterated their commitment to enforcing consequences for hate speech and violence, as outlined by California Education Code and district policies.
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Francisco Middle School has previously faced a similar incident when a student was allegedly stabbed by another student in March.
Billoo called on the school district to take stronger measures in addressing the recent assault, emphasizing that it was a violent attack and not mere bullying. She criticized the district's lackadaisical approach to the incident, given that the assailants had been identified.
The school district, prioritizing student privacy, declined to provide further details about their ongoing investigation.
Source: Agencies
