Written by Kanka Singh
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A Pennsylvania public teacher is on leave after allegedly calling out a student at America's Palestinian school extremist, the school district and an Islamic advocacy group said.
Why is this important?
Human rights advocates say there has been a rise in anti-Muslim, anti-Semitic and anti-Semitic hatred in the United States since the beginning of Israel's war in Gaza following an attack on October 7, 2023, by the Palestinian militant group Hamas.
Key quotes
The Central Dauphin School District said Saturday it learned about allegations that a teacher made the derogatory comment last week in an after-school program.
“The teacher involved in the alleged incident is on administrative leave pending our investigation,” the district said in a statement, adding that he had zero tolerance for racist rhetoric.
The allegation is that the teacher had remarked, “I don't negotiate with terrorists,” when the Palestinian-American student asked to change seats, CAIR said.
The district and student did not name the teacher or student. Kair said he is in contact with the child's parents.
Context
Recent US incidents involving children include the attempted drowning of a 3-year-old Palestinian American girl in Texas and the fatal stabbing of a 6-year-old Palestinian American boy in Illinois.
Other incidents include the stabbing of a Palestinian American man in Texas, the beating of a Muslim man in New York, a violent mob attack on pro-Palestinian protesters in California and the shooting of three Palestinian American students in Vermont.
Incidents raising alarm over anti-Semitism include threats of violence against Jews at Cornell University that led to a conviction and sentencing, an unsuccessful plot to attack a Jewish center in New York City and physical attacks against a Jewish man in Michigan, a rabbi in Maryland and two Jewish students at the University of Chicago.
