ANN ARBOR (WWJ) - Ann Arbor Public Schools is under fire this week after a complaint filed over the weekend alleges a school counselor called a middle school Palestinian Muslim student a terrorist.
"This is a disturbing story here," WWJ legal analyst Charlie Langton said about the case on Tuesday morning. "A 12-year-old Palestinian Muslim student said that a school counselor called him a terrorist and now his family has filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education."
The complain was formally made by Council on American Islamic Relations Michigan Chapter (CAIR- MI) on behalf of the boy's family, who said they turned to the advocacy group for help after they failed to resolve the incident that occurred on Nov. 14 at Tappan Middle School.
According to Langton, the family says that their son wanted a drink of water, but the school counselor refused.
"The counselor saying that [they] didn't 'negotiate with terrorists,'" Langton added.
As reported by WXYZ, the family claims the counselor made the comment twice while denying the student water. The student pushed back against the exchange, but the family claims school officials only issued an apology and the counselor involved still works at Tappan.
“We're asking Ann Arbor Public Schools to do their duty in ensuring that their middle school students are receiving the free, safe public education they are entitled to under the law,” CAIR-MI staff attorney Amy Doukoure told WXYZ.
Langton reported that various sources reached out to the Ann Arbor Public Schools but officials are refusing comment, citing pending litigation.
Doukoure told WXYZ that they've seen a staggering 300% increase in reports of hate and discrimination since the Israel-Hamas War broke out on Oct. 7, with almost half of the cases occurring at public schools or universities.
“We filed the Department of Education complaint and we're asking them to investigate not only this incident, but other incidents that have been raised,” Doukoure said.