A New York City teacher was fired after allegedly removing the religious garment of an 8-year-old student. Safa, a Muslim girl, wears a hijab, a traditional head covering. When her substitute teacher at P.S. 176 i n the Bronx, Oghenetega Edah, reportedly ripped it off of her in class, she was distraught, and reported the incident to her father and the school. She says the teacher also injured her eye when he forcibly removed the hijab.
“I said you can’t because if you did, I will tell the principal,” Safa told WPIX. “And he just started laughing and he took it off.”
Safa’s father left work right away and went to the school. He also called the police. While Edah was not arrested, he was fired, according to a spokesperson for the city’s Department of Education. “This individual was removed from the school immediately and his employment has been terminated,” the spokesperson said, calling the alleged action “completely unacceptable.”
“I was like, for why are we coming to school, for learning, or … to start taking hijabs off of Muslim girls,” Safa said. “I’m proud of my religion.”
[Image via WPIX screengrab]
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