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US teacher fired for ripping eight-year-old student’s hijab off

Substitute teacher pulled scarf off her head and injured her eye in process

News Desk May 10, 2017

A woman walks past a mannequin wearing an hijab headscarf at a market in the Brussels district of Molenbeek, Belgium PHOTO: REUTERS

A substitute teacher at a Bronx elementary school allegedly ripped off the hijab of an 8-year-old girl when she refused to get out of the teacher's chair, according to the police.

The 31-year-old teacher, Oghenetega Edah, demanded that she take her headscarf off around 1 pm last Tuesday. The girl had been misbehaving and sitting on the teacher's chair.

He had initially tapped her arm in order to get her to move but then threatened to take her head scarf off. According to the police, Edah said “I’m taking it off” and pulled the scarf off her head, injuring her right eye in the process.

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Police sources, however, confirmed that doctors at the Jacobi Hospital said her cornea was not damaged. A spokesperson from the department of education, Michael Aciman, said that “This alleged behaviour is completely unacceptable” and that “this individual was removed from the school immediately and his employment has been terminated.”

Edah became a per diem substitute teacher in January 2017 and was terminated effective May 3, 2017. The police and department of investigation are both investigating the incident.

Thirty three-year-old Yvarie Ortiz, a parent picking her child up from the school, said, “I just feel like teachers are supposed to control their anger a little bit more. That’s why they’re there. To teach and be calm. They’re supposed to be patient. That’s your job. ”

This post originally appeared on NYPost

COMMENTS (4)

Khilari | 7 years ago | Reply No, sometimes they don't ask but I don't make it an issue. Teacher's chair is not a king's throne that no one can sit on it. A child is curious and wants to do things to satisfy his/her curiosity. Teacher's chair is a thing of ' aw' for them. Being a facilitator in the class to satisfy their curious mind, I don't see any harm if a child comes and sit on the chair uninvited.@powayman:

powayman | 7 years ago | Reply @Khilari:

A child sitting on teacher’s chair is fine. I’m a teacher and I allow my student to sit on it as it makes them feel special

This clearly wasn't the case in his situation. This was a belligerent child who didn't sit in the chair with "permission" and refused to vacate the chair. While the substitute teacher actions were not justified this child should be suspended from school.

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Khilari | 7 years ago | Reply A child sitting on teacher's chair is fine. I'm a teacher and I allow my student to sit on it as it makes them feel special and acknowledged. But when I want to sit then I ask the child politely by using endearing like ' honey, can I sit on my chair as I'm tired?' And the child promptly gets up without fuss. This teacher teaches in America and hasn't picked up the tricks as to how to handle a situation. Wow!

Shah | 7 years ago | Reply Why doesn't this so called teacher go inside the church and take off the Hijab off Mary's (mother of Jesus) head.... Do they not know that Virgin Mary wore Hijab all the time ??? Do they (the christians) not know that virgin Mary always wore long dress called Abaya ?? Do they not know that Jesus wore ankle length long robe called Thawb (thobe) ?? What and where these morons have come from having no knowledge; The dress for women and men is not related to religion.... Its a cultural thing; All wear these Hijab, Abaya and long thawb in the middle east.. Christians, Muslims Jews etc; Have you Christians seen Nun and the3 Priest dresses ?? You are so prejudiced that you have forgotten your own identity; Today wearing bikini, hot pants shorts, and jeans you Christians think you have become Almighty and are right ??? Actually it shows how small & shrunk your brains have become, which very limited capacity to think and accept others whom you think are different; Maybe they think you are different;

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