SUGAR LAND, Texas (AP) - A suburban Houston teacher has been placed on administrative leave amid allegations that she called a seventh-grade student a “terrorist” during class.
At a news conference Friday, student Waleed Abushaaban (wah-LEED’ ah-boo-SHAH’-bahn) said his class at Sugar Land’s First Colony Middle School was watching a movie Thursday when, after he laughed at the film, his teacher said, “’I wouldn’t be laughing if I was you.’”
When he asked why, the 12-year-old student said the teacher replied, “’Because we all think you’re a terrorist.’” The student said his classmates taunted him afterward, making references to seeing a bomb.
His family says that they want the teacher dismissed.
The Fort Bend Independent School District said it doesn’t support the teacher’s statements even though they were made in the context of trying to make a point about negative stereotypes.
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