Teacher Suspended Without Pay After Student's Hijab Was Removed And Her Hair Made Fun Of

An undisclosed teacher of New Vision Academy Charter School has been suspended without pay, after parents of a female student whose hijab was removed and her hair made fun of registered their displeasure.

A video of the incident was shared on social media with the caption, "pretty hair”, while another was captioned “lol all that hair covered up."

According to WSMV, the video was shared when a viewer of the news station saw the footage online and became upset that the girl was being told her hair was too pretty to be covered.

The incident has sparked condemnation especially from Islamic scholars. Chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer for Valor Collegiate Academies, Kasar Abdulla said in an interview with WSMV that "As a female, and as a mother of three daughters, it should never be OK to rip off an article of clothing off of a female, period!

"I highly encourage those faculty members in that particular school to take a crash course on why the hijab is so important to some of my students and why my students cover up. It's a symbol of who you are and it's a symbol of your faith and it's a symbol of your identity. So, it needs to be accepted and recognized,” she added.

After suspending the very teacher under whose watch the incident happened, principal of the school, Dr. Tim Malone released a statement emphasizing that, “New Vision Academy is a diverse school.

As a school community, we pride ourselves on embracing and celebrating our racial, ethnic, religious and economic diversity. Our students learn, and grow, best when they learn from one another. To foster this environment, all students must feel respected and supported.”

Dr. Tim Malone further condemned the development, saying “The actions depicted in the Snapchat video do not reflect the values, culture or climate of New Vision Academy. New Vision Academy will continue to emphasize that all staff members act in a way meant to empower and inspire our students. New Vision will use this video as an opportunity to press forward with increasing cultural sensitivity and awareness among all members of the New Vision community. The staff member in question has been suspended, without pay, and we have had direct discussions with the students depicted in the Snapchat. New Vision Academy apologizes for this unfortunate incident, and will be better in the future.”