Suspension of Muslim prompts U.S. complaint

The Justice Department filed a complaint Tuesday against the Muskogee Public School District, saying officials were wrong to suspend an 11-year-old Muslim girl for refusing to remove her head scarf.

“No student should be forced to choose between following her faith and enjoying the benefits of a public education,” Assistant Attorney General R. Alexander Acosta said. “Religious discrimination has no place in American schools.”

The complaint seeks to force the school to change its dress code policy to “ensure there is no discrimination on the basis of religion.”

School officials twice suspended sixth-grader Nashala Hearn in October for wearing a head scarf they said violated a dress code prohibiting head coverings, including hats. The child wears the head scarf, or hijab, as part of her observance of the Muslim religion.

Hearn returned to school Oct. 15, and was allowed to wear the head scarf pending a district review of its policies.

School district digs in
“We believe we’re interpreting it right, and apparently the federal government says different,” Muskogee schools Superintendent Eldon Gleichman said. “I guess we’ll let a judge determine it.”

For Subscribers

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAbdul El-Sayed tries to woo MAHA voters as Democrats seek inroads with RFK’s supporters

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKratom-like substances are popping up in a typically benign supplement

FOR SUBSCRIBERSGOP super PAC increases its spending for Sen. Jon Husted in tough Ohio race

FOR SUBSCRIBERSRecords reveal tumultuous marriage between slain New York Times executive and wife

FOR SUBSCRIBERSFrom clean energy warrior to ‘wall of shame,’ James Talarico reverses on a fossil fuel money pledge

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCongressional staff planned official trip with luxury stops in Italy and France weeks before election

FOR SUBSCRIBERSA harrowing ordeal aboard an Israel-bound plane

FOR SUBSCRIBERSOpenAI CEO Sam Altman to skip congressional hearing on rogue AI agents

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKey DOJ lawyers departed Trump ‘grand conspiracy’ probe amid pressure to produce, source says

FOR SUBSCRIBERSTrump’s new AI chatbot often links to a site launched under Clinton 26 years ago

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAt MAHA summit, industry CEOs the movement once vilified take the stage

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThis Paralympian has two goals: Win medals and give away $500,000 to her teammates

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCornell rape allegation spotlights stringent New York state laws that have long drawn criticism

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThe debate over AI’s future rages on both coasts

FOR SUBSCRIBERSDecades-old march dispute reignites in Northern Ireland, threatening political crisis

The complaint alleges the school district violated the equal protection clause of the Constitution by applying dress codes in an inconsistent and discriminatory manner.

For Subscribers

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAbdul El-Sayed tries to woo MAHA voters as Democrats seek inroads with RFK’s supporters

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKratom-like substances are popping up in a typically benign supplement

FOR SUBSCRIBERSGOP super PAC increases its spending for Sen. Jon Husted in tough Ohio race

FOR SUBSCRIBERSRecords reveal tumultuous marriage between slain New York Times executive and wife

FOR SUBSCRIBERSFrom clean energy warrior to ‘wall of shame,’ James Talarico reverses on a fossil fuel money pledge

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCongressional staff planned official trip with luxury stops in Italy and France weeks before election

FOR SUBSCRIBERSA harrowing ordeal aboard an Israel-bound plane

FOR SUBSCRIBERSOpenAI CEO Sam Altman to skip congressional hearing on rogue AI agents

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKey DOJ lawyers departed Trump ‘grand conspiracy’ probe amid pressure to produce, source says

FOR SUBSCRIBERSTrump’s new AI chatbot often links to a site launched under Clinton 26 years ago

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAt MAHA summit, industry CEOs the movement once vilified take the stage

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThis Paralympian has two goals: Win medals and give away $500,000 to her teammates

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCornell rape allegation spotlights stringent New York state laws that have long drawn criticism

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThe debate over AI’s future rages on both coasts

FOR SUBSCRIBERSDecades-old march dispute reignites in Northern Ireland, threatening political crisis

The girl’s family has sued the school district for $80,000, claiming the dress code discriminates unjustly against religious clothing. The Justice Department also filed a request Tuesday to intervene in that lawsuit. Trial is set for Sept. 7.

Attorney General John Ashcroft has urged Muslims and Arab-Americans to report instances of discrimination and hate crimes and pledged they will be fully investigated.

Through March 2, the Justice Department has investigated 549 alleged “backlash” crimes since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and held more than 250 town meetings with Arab-Americans, Muslims and other affected communities.