ANN ARBOR, Michigan – A complaint has been lodged with the Office of Civil Rights for the U.S. Department of Education against Ann Arbor Public Schools in Michigan, asserting that a middle school counselor referred to a Muslim student as a “terrorist.”
The complaint, filed on Monday, December 18, originates from the Michigan chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a prominent Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization.
CAIR was retained by the family of an eighth-grade student at Tappan Middle School. The reported incident occurred on November 14 at Tappan Middle School.
According to the complaint, the student, waiting to speak with his guidance counselor, asked another sixth-grade counselor for permission to get a drink of water. Allegedly, the sixth-grade counselor denied the request, stating that she “did not negotiate with terrorists.”
Immediately following the incident, the student voiced his concerns to the counselor, expressing that the comments were discriminatory and inappropriate based on his Muslim and Palestinian religion and ethnicity.
The complaint contends that, due to the alleged remarks from the counselors and staff at Tappan Middle School, the eighth-grade student no longer feels comfortable attending the school or participating in meetings in the counselor’s office.
CAIR-MI is representing the family, which has opted to keep their identity confidential due to concerns about potential retaliation.
Ann Arbor Public Schools did not provide information on whether the staff member faced disciplinary action following the incident.
CAIR-MI Executive Director Dawud Walid criticized the school administration for being dismissive of the student’s pain and emphasized the discriminatory nature of the counselor’s words.
When complaints were brought to the district and school board, the school reportedly treated it as a “private personnel matter” and considered the issue closed, according to CAIR.
Ann Arbor Public Schools Spokesman Andrew Cluley stated that the district does not comment on personnel matters and pending legal complaints.
Ann Arbor School Board President Rima Mohammad expressed deep concern over the alleged incident and stated that the board does not tolerate Islamophobia, antisemitism, or any form of hate speech.
Mohammad affirmed the board’s commitment to addressing allegations promptly and taking them seriously in accordance with Board policy 5010.
