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The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has submitted a discrimination complaint on behalf of Hajur El-Haggan, a Black Muslim Arab American teacher in Maryland, reported CNN. El-Haggan, a middle school math teacher at Argyle Middle School within the Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) since 2015, was placed on administrative leave on November 20 due to her email signature, which included a phrase supporting Palestinian rights.
According to the complaint filed on Wednesday, the email signature contained the phrase “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” interpreted as a call for Palestinian freedom, dignity, and self-determination. The controversy arises as critics, including the Anti-Defamation League and other Jewish groups, label the slogan as “antisemitic” and a rallying cry used by anti-Israel voices.
The school district’s policy on email best practices prohibits the inclusion of political or non-political quotes in email signatures. However, CAIR’s complaint argues that this policy was selectively enforced against El-Haggan and not against colleagues who displayed similar conduct.
El-Haggan offered to remove the controversial phrase from her signature, but the county declined the offer, keeping her on administrative leave pending an investigation. Despite the passage of 18 days since the incident, the county has not reached out to El-Haggan.
During a news conference held by CAIR in front of the Montgomery County Public Schools Board of Education, El-Haggan, wearing a traditional Palestinian scarf, expressed her commitment to advocating for peace and freedom for Palestinians. She emphasized the discrimination she believes she is facing from the county and the impact on her role as an educator.
CAIR’s complaint alleges discrimination based on race and religion, asserting violations of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and the Maryland Fair Employment Practices Act. The organization claims that over 200 bias incident reports have been received from Muslims and Arabs in Maryland since October 7, with many incidents related to discrimination against those supporting Palestinians.
El-Haggan called on the county to protect Arab and Muslim educators from discrimination and requested the opportunity to return to teaching her students. The MCPS, in response, stated that El-Haggan remains on administrative leave pending an investigation, characterizing the situation as a “personnel matter.”
According to the complaint filed on Wednesday, the email signature contained the phrase “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” interpreted as a call for Palestinian freedom, dignity, and self-determination. The controversy arises as critics, including the Anti-Defamation League and other Jewish groups, label the slogan as “antisemitic” and a rallying cry used by anti-Israel voices.
The school district’s policy on email best practices prohibits the inclusion of political or non-political quotes in email signatures. However, CAIR’s complaint argues that this policy was selectively enforced against El-Haggan and not against colleagues who displayed similar conduct.
El-Haggan offered to remove the controversial phrase from her signature, but the county declined the offer, keeping her on administrative leave pending an investigation. Despite the passage of 18 days since the incident, the county has not reached out to El-Haggan.
During a news conference held by CAIR in front of the Montgomery County Public Schools Board of Education, El-Haggan, wearing a traditional Palestinian scarf, expressed her commitment to advocating for peace and freedom for Palestinians. She emphasized the discrimination she believes she is facing from the county and the impact on her role as an educator.
CAIR’s complaint alleges discrimination based on race and religion, asserting violations of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and the Maryland Fair Employment Practices Act. The organization claims that over 200 bias incident reports have been received from Muslims and Arabs in Maryland since October 7, with many incidents related to discrimination against those supporting Palestinians.
El-Haggan called on the county to protect Arab and Muslim educators from discrimination and requested the opportunity to return to teaching her students. The MCPS, in response, stated that El-Haggan remains on administrative leave pending an investigation, characterizing the situation as a “personnel matter.”
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