Twin sisters were assaulted at a Waterbury middle school last week because of their Muslim faith, according to the Connecticut Council on American-Islamic Relations.
Twin sisters were assaulted at a Waterbury middle school last week because of their Muslim faith, according to the Connecticut Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR).
The 14-year-old sisters are in the seventh grade at Wallace Middle School, and recently moved to Connecticut from Egypt.
On Monday, March 3, the sisters were beaten and had their hijabs ripped off, a spokesperson for CAIR said.
“One girl was punched in the face and has bruises on her face and a bloody nose. The other one had something scraped across her neck and has contusions and bruising on her neck,” Farhan Memon, chairperson of CAIR’s Connecticut chapter, said.
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Waterbury police said a school resource officer assigned to Wallace Middle responded to an altercation involving four seventh-grade female students.
The department said two of the involved students in the altercation did sustain minor injuries during the altercation, but “no medical attention was required.”
Now, police are conducting an investigation. Authorities said a 12-year-old girl was referred to a youth diversionary program instead of being arrested.
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The school district will also discipline the 12-year-old and an 11-year-old believed to be involved in the incident, according to police.
Memon said the students were taken to the hospital for their injuries and are now scared to return to school.
“This is not the first instance of Muslims being targeted at Waterbury schools,” Memon said. “We've heard from other parents to say that their daughters, especially, have had their headscarves pulled off. So, I think that this needs to be taken a little bit more seriously by all levels of Waterbury school and city government.”
Sumaya Syed, a sixth grader at the school, was shocked to hear what happened to the sisters.
“I was like really, really shocked because I don’t know why they’re going for Muslims,” she said. “It makes me feel nervous to go to school sometimes, but I know I’m safe because I can talk to teachers and principals.”
Syed’s father, Fahd, who’s the head of Waterbury’s Human Rights Commission, said his older children have been assaulted in the past for their Muslim faith.
“It happened during my generation after 9/11, now it’s happening to my daughter’s generation,” Fahd said. “We’re here to say that we want this to stop. This isn’t just some kind of random act or isolated act. This is a common practice towards Muslim people, and we want to feel safe.”
“These girls were hurt. They were targeted for being Muslim,” he continued. “They had marks on their necks, they were bloodied…they were beat bad, and on top of it, their religious veil was removed. That’s something very significant to a Muslim woman.”
CAIR is now calling on the Waterbury school district to take action, including holding the students responsible for the assault accountable, improving anti-bullying policies and training, and developing a plan for the targeted students upon their arrival back to school.
“By law, the school is supposed to offer a safety plan for them,” Memon said. “So, we've asked for the school to meet with the parents and us on Wednesday or soon as possible so that we can review exactly what the report is that the school wants to provide, a what the resolution will be…What's the safety plan? How are we going to train both students and teachers that this type of treatment cannot be tolerated at the Waterbury schools?”
In an email to families, Principal Vincent Balsamo said the school "remains steadfast in [their] commitment to fostering a respectful and inclusive environment for all students."
"We take incidents of this nature very seriously, and any actions that target individuals will not be tolerated. Our goal is to create a school culture where every student feels safe, valued, and respected," the statement reads.
Balsamo is urging parents to discuss the importance of treating others with kindness, understanding and respect, regardless of differences, with their children. He also says families should educate students on the importance of embracing and fostering a supportive school community.
"I am very concerned about the allegations concerning the part religion may have played in this incident. I have therefore met with Chief of Police Spagnolo and Interim Superintendent of Schools Darren Schwartz to be sure that they are taking all necessary steps to fully understand what occurred," Mayor Paul Pernerewski said in a statement.
On Tuesday, CAIR will release its annual civil rights report, which will detail a rise in complaints of islamophobia, and trends the organization said it hasn’t seen since its founding 30 years ago.
