Muslim Olympic medalist sued for highlighting story of teacher pulling girl’s hijab
Ibtihaj Muhammad, an American Olympic medalist in fencing, is being sued by a teacher for defamation after a social media post she made about the teacher allegedly pulling on a girl’s hijab went viral.
The incident took place in October 2021, when the seven-year-old girl told her mom that her second-grade teacher, Tamar Herman, “approached her, grabbed her hijab, pulling it back, touching her face and hair” and exposed her uncovered hair to the class.
Later, the girl’s mother wrote about her daughter's accusations on Facebook, prompting Muhammad to denounce it as Islamophobia in an Instagram post that went viral. Muhammad's post on Instagram has since been deleted.
According to Herman, a New Jersey school teacher, she was placed on administrative leave, forced to move out of her home after allegedly being ostracised by her community, and required police protection after Muhammad's social media post, the lawsuit reads.
The lawsuit also alleges that Muhammad “knowingly, maliciously and willfully” posted false and harmful statements about Herman.
Stay informed with MEE's newsletters
Sign up to get the latest alerts, insights and analysis, starting with Turkey Unpacked
“As a result of the defendants’ fabricated claims, Herman had her reputation impugned, she was targeted with threats to her physical safety, was mercilessly bullied and ridiculed, was shamed in local and national news articles, and humiliated in front of her community.”
Constitutional rights
According to the lawsuit, Herman noticed that the girl was wearing a hood that was blocking her eyes. She reportedly encouraged the student to brush back her hood, and when the student didn’t, Herman pulled it back.
The lawsuit says Herman then realised that the student wasn’t wearing her regular hijab and apologised.
The lawsuit also includes the Council on American-Islamic Relations (Cair) saying that its executive director, Selaedin Maksut, gave a defamatory interview on Good Morning America and tweeted that Herman should be fired from her teaching job.
“We cannot yet comment on this filing, which our legal counsel must review,” Cair told MEE in a statement.
“However, we continue to strongly stand by this student, who had the clear constitutional right to cover her hair for religious reasons without physical interference or humiliation.”
This lawsuit comes just a few months after the parents of the little girl filed a lawsuit alleging the girl’s religious rights were violated and that she was emotionally harmed.
Middle East Eye delivers independent and unrivalled coverage and analysis of the Middle East, North Africa and beyond. To learn more about republishing this content and the associated fees, please fill out this form. More about MEE can be found here.
