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Lawsuit alleges metro Detroit teacher was fired because she wears a hijab

Posted at 10:32 PM, Feb 19, 2018
and last updated 2018-02-20 08:01:53-05

A 5th grade teacher may have been forced out because she wears a hijab.

That’s the allegation against Melvindale/Northern Allen Park School District in a lawsuit filed this past week.

The lawyer for Amirah Mosed says the way she was treated at work at Allendale Elementary School isn't right and in the lawsuit they allege Mosed was subjected to a hostile environment where she was told to “get a job in Dearborn” among other things, harassment that’s they say is against the law. 

“This is a woman who’s born in the US. Who is very American and a wonderful teacher and just a great person with a sense of humor, a delightful human being,” says attorney David Nacht.

Nacht says his client endured religious discrimination while she taught 5th grade.

In the lawsuit against the district there are allegations Mosed was told by supervisors to resign or get fired, to “get a job in Dearborn,” told her students were not safe with her, all because she is of Yemini descent and dresses, culturally, in a hijab.

”It got worse and the students loved her and she was written up and fired and it’s bologna. and its not America,” says Nacht.

The allegations - discrimination and harassment on the basis of her religion - with Nacht saying there were no legitimate concerns about her teaching abilities.

“She was just not perceived to fit the community to fit the school,” says Nacht. “What this case is really about making America safe in the workplace, for all Americans. All of us who might not fit the norm of what some boss, some principal, some local manager or vice president thinks the norm is.”

Mosed was fired back in May of last year.

We briefly reached the superintendent by phone Monday evening.

Dr. Kimberly Sorranno said “no comment” before hanging up.