The San Francisco Unified School District is investigating an alleged Islamophobic attack on a Muslim middle schooler, an inquiry that a local advocacy group said is “inadequate.”
The Council on American-Islamic Relations' San Francisco Bay Area chapter said Thursday that a pair of Francisco Middle School students attacked a seventh-grader as she walked home on Oct. 25. Advocates with the group said they allegedly punched her in the back of the head, and one of the two "then mounted her" after she fell to the ground, "striking her multiple times in the chest and ribs."
One of the two allegedly said “F---ing Muslims” to the victim, according to the group.
The girl's mother told Francisco Middle School's vice principal about the attack a day later, identifying the alleged attackers in a subsequent meeting four days later. Her mother “received no commitment from the vice principal that the attack would be investigated,” the council said.
The San Francisco Unified School District told The Examiner on Thursday that it opened an investigation “immediately upon learning” of the incident and “is working directly with impacted students and families.”
“We are deeply concerned by reports that hate speech between the students was a factor in this altercation,” a district spokesperson said in a statement. “Per California Education Code and district policies, there are serious consequences for hate speech and violence.”
Zahra Billoo, executive director of the CAIR San Francisco Bay Area, told The Examiner on Friday morning that “to still be investigating is inadequate.”
“This student needs safety and protection,” Billoo said, observing that the alleged attack occurred more than three weeks ago.
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The alleged attack occurred amid a backdrop of rising Islamophobia and antisemitism in the wake of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. Israel said that Hamas militants killed around 1,200 Israelis, mostly civilians, and kidnapped another 240 people on Oct. 7. Palestinian health authorities said this week more than 11,400 people had been killed during Israel's subsequent offensive into Gaza, a count that doesn't differentiate between civilians and militants.
A wave of Islamophobia and antisemitism has landed stateside since Oct. 7. The CAIR said it received 1,283 requests for help and reports of bias between Oct. 7 and Nov. 4, a 216% increase over the average 29-day period last year.
Schools of all levels have had to contend with hateful incidents. The U.S. Department of Education opened investigations Thursday into five antisemitic incidents and two Islamophobic incidents at six colleges and one K-12 school district, days after it provided anti-discrimination resources to schools and announced listening sessions with educators.
The Bay Area chapter of the CAIR called upon the San Francisco Unified School District to “implement a proactive strategy and response plan” combating Islamophobia and antisemitism “to ensure the safety and well-being of all students,” as well as to thoroughly investigate the Oct. 25 incident and “establish a comprehensive safety plan” for the victim. The group said Thursday that one of the attackers allegedly asked other students for the girl’s address and bus routes.
The district didn't answer The Examiner's question on its policies addressing antisemitism and Islamophobia since Oct. 7. A district spokesperson said, “Hate has no place in our community and will not be tolerated.”
Billoo, the CAIR San Francisco Bay Area's executive director, said the district needs to show more urgency in its investigation into the alleged Oct. 25 attack.
“We want action,” she said.
