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Chicago Muslim Student Accuses School of Harassment, Abuse
WASHINGTON, July 27 (Islam Online & News Agencies) - A Muslim student at Roosevelt High School at Chicago sued a teacher, three Chicago police officers, the Chicago Board of Education and the City of Chicago for harassment and physical abuse.
According to a lawsuit filed on his behalf this week in a federal court, Yahya Hussein, 17, said that he was handcuffed and severely beaten by school officials because of his religion.
Hussain, an honor student and student council member, said that James Miller, a math teacher, would make negative comments about Islam throughout the past school year as Hussein passed in the hallway.
According to the lawsuit, Hussein said that when he wore his ROTC uniform, Miller told him that his beard and his religious cap "looked like shit" and made the ROTC look bad.
The suit alleges that Miller made negative comments about Hussain and conspired with three police officers to beat him.
Hussain said that he was assaulted by a Chicago police officer at the school while he was waiting to report the pattern of harassment to the school's disciplinary officer and to make his complaint in April.
Hussain alleges in the suit that Conard Dembowski, the officer who approached him along with Miller, grabbed Hussein from behind, twisted his arm behind his back, yanked his left arm and handcuffed him. Then, Dembowski struck Hussain in the face and chest and dragged him inside an office where he continued striking and chocking him.
According to the suit, Hussain also said that the officer handcuffed him to a chair in the office and left and then two other Chicago police officers, walked into the office and told him they were surprised an ROTC member would behave so badly.
Hussein said that the two officers refused to let him call his father to get medical help, despite he was vomiting blood.
Two hours later, Hussain was released and went to the emergency room. His lawyer, Kamran A. Memon said that Hussain sustained damage to his gums, swollen lips, bruises and a swollen wrist.
However, after the beating, Miller asked the school disciplinary officer to suspend Hussain, but there were no grounds for suspension.
"Yahya didn't do anything to provoke this," said Memon, pointing that the incident was absolutely racially motivated.
"There's no excuse for a teacher to religiously harass a student," added Memon.
"And there's no excuse for a police officer to physically abuse a student."
On the other hand, Chicago Board of Education spokeswoman, Lucy Ramirez and spokeswoman for the city's department of law, Jenny Hoyle, refused to comment on the allegations on Wednesday, saying they had not seen the lawsuit yet.
"The matter is not resolved because some teachers have continued to be hostile," said Memon. "There is still tension at the school."
Memon said that other Muslim students in the Chicago area are also concerned for Hussain, who is the president of the Islamic club of Roosevelt High School.
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