Mother: PS 264 lunch aide discriminated against son for fasting during Ramadan

A civil rights complaint was filed against the Department of Education after a family claims a school lunch aide at P.S. 264 bullied and discriminated against a Muslim fourth grader.

News 12 Staff

Nov 14, 2019, 3:34 AM

Updated 1,631 days ago

Share:

A civil rights complaint was filed against the Department of Education after a family claims a school lunch aide at P.S. 264 bullied and discriminated against a Muslim fourth grader.
A Bay Ridge mother says she is angry about the way the aide treated her 9-year-old son, who was fasting for Ramadan back in May.
"She humiliated him, she emotionally abused him, she segregated him and punished him by using his religion against him," says Zaman Mashrah.
Mashrah says her son Ilyas Aljahmi was supposed to go upstairs during lunchtime with other Muslim students who were fasting so they didn't have to sit in the cafeteria while others ate. But instead, she says the aide singled out her son.
"She claims that my son was laughing or mocking her, which he wasn't, and she told him in front of his peers, 'Since you are laughing, I will put you in the cafeteria to watch all the kids eat, since you are laughing," says Mashrah.
On Wednesday, the Council on American-Islamic Relations filed a civil rights complaint against the DOE for the incident. Since then, the family took their son out of the school and placed him in an Islamic school.
A spokesperson from the DOE says in a statement, "Schools must be safe, supportive and inclusive environments, and these very concerning allegations were immediately reported for investigation. We take any allegation of discrimination seriously, and will review the complaint."
 
 


More from News 12
2:45
Large fire at 2-story Bensonhurst building leaves home destroyed

Large fire at 2-story Bensonhurst building leaves home destroyed

4:14
'We lost something good'. FDNY says large fire destroys Bushwick supermarket, leaves 55 people homeless

'We lost something good'. FDNY says large fire destroys Bushwick supermarket, leaves 55 people homeless

1:48
Temperatures cool off heading into the weekend for NYC

Temperatures cool off heading into the weekend for NYC

1:55
PS 331 in Borough Park to be renamed in honor of slain Detective WenJian Liu

PS 331 in Borough Park to be renamed in honor of slain Detective WenJian Liu

2:45
Large fire at 2-story Bensonhurst building leaves home destroyed

Large fire at 2-story Bensonhurst building leaves home destroyed

0:43
2 City Council committees hold joint hearing on sexual harassment policies

2 City Council committees hold joint hearing on sexual harassment policies

Diocese of Brooklyn: 3 Catholic academies to close at the end of the school year

Diocese of Brooklyn: 3 Catholic academies to close at the end of the school year

2:03
New exhibit at Brooklyn Museum unveils new photos taken by Beatles' Paul McCartney

New exhibit at Brooklyn Museum unveils new photos taken by Beatles' Paul McCartney

0:32
NYPD: Suspect driver wanted for assaulting 59-year-old man in Williamsburg

NYPD: Suspect driver wanted for assaulting 59-year-old man in Williamsburg

0:23
Police: 2-car Prospect-Lefferts Gardens crash leaves person hospitalized

Police: 2-car Prospect-Lefferts Gardens crash leaves person hospitalized

0:36
Live Nation Concert Week offers $25 tickets to over 5,000 shows

Live Nation Concert Week offers $25 tickets to over 5,000 shows

2:22
Do you constantly reuse the same username and password? 6 steps to help safeguard your online accounts

Do you constantly reuse the same username and password? 6 steps to help safeguard your online accounts

1:27
Kingsboro Psychiatric Center workers demand their bosses get fired due to bullying, nepotism

Kingsboro Psychiatric Center workers demand their bosses get fired due to bullying, nepotism

1:53
Crowds gather again at Stony Brook University following night of 29 arrests during pro-Palestinian protest

Crowds gather again at Stony Brook University following night of 29 arrests during pro-Palestinian protest

1:51
RFK announces he has enough signatures to appear on NY ballot

RFK announces he has enough signatures to appear on NY ballot

1:46
Tenants weigh in on possible rent hikes for rent-stabilized homes

Tenants weigh in on possible rent hikes for rent-stabilized homes

1:38
Parks Department held community input meetings over new construction of skate parks

Parks Department held community input meetings over new construction of skate parks

1:27
Power restored in Manhattan Beach following 18-wheeler truck crash

Power restored in Manhattan Beach following 18-wheeler truck crash

1:53
Elected officials call on mayor to bring Staten Island ferry back to former Bay Ridge Pier

Elected officials call on mayor to bring Staten Island ferry back to former Bay Ridge Pier

0:31
Authorities arrest 31-year-old man in connection to fatal Williamsburg crash

Authorities arrest 31-year-old man in connection to fatal Williamsburg crash