According to rahyafte (the missionaries and converts website):The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has submitted a complaint to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission against Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS), asserting discrimination against a Muslim Arab middle school teacher.
The teacher in question, Hajur El-Haggan of Argyle Middle School in Silver Spring, allegedly faced administrative leave due to her email signature expressing support for Palestinians, NBC reported.
CAIR disclosed the filing on Friday, asserting that MCPS informed El-Haggan that including political or non-political quotes in an email signature violated the employee code of conduct.
The organization says that while El-Haggan’s colleagues had similar content in their email signatures, she was the only teacher reprimanded by MCPS.
Over 30 individuals gathered near the Montgomery County Public Schools Board of Education in Rockville on Friday morning to demonstrate support for El-Haggan.
CAIR attorney Rawda Fawaz emphasized the need for equal enforcement of county policies and a fair opportunity for teachers to engage in dialogue or mediation.
Fawaz stated, “Ms. El-Haggan was treated extremely differently from her fellow teachers for engaging in conduct that they also engaged in. This is a clear example of discrimination of disparate treatment, and that’s at the core of our filing.”
Expressing her desire to return to the classroom, El-Haggan remarked, “I’m just desperate to get back into the classroom with my students. As a teacher, that’s all any educator wants to do is just to be with her students. I miss my classroom. I miss my coworkers and I miss the kids.”
