Latest news with #MontgomeryBlairHighSchool
Yahoo
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Montgomery County teacher sues after Palestine flag removed from classroom
MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. (DC News Now) — A teacher is suing the principal of a Montgomery County school and the board of education after she was prohibited from posting the Palestinian flag among a set of multi-country flag stickers on display on her classroom door. In doing so, the suit claims her First Amendment rights were violated. Montgomery Blair High School students organize walkout to support deported classmate Hibah Sayed began teaching at Sligo Middle School in 2020 and served as the staff sponsor of the school's Minority Scholars Program (MSP). In August 2023, Sayed posted several stickers of flags from varying countries on her classroom door, including the Palestine flag. The stickers — no more than 4 inches wide — could sometimes encourage questions or observations from her students, and didn't interfere with her overall teaching ability, the lawsuit explained. Displaying flags from multiple countries was not uncommon around the school, and even the cafeteria included flags from various parts of the world, including Israel, Germany, China and more. Beyond allowing other nations' flags to be flown, the school permitted political advocacy flags, including Pride flags and Black Lives Matter. While the Palestine flag in her classroom didn't pose an issue for months, that changed following the Oct. 7, 2023, deadly surprise attack on Israel led by Hamas militants from Gaza. This occurred during a festival that took lives and hostages and started the ongoing Hamas-Israel war. Israel recovers the remains of 3 more hostages from Gaza Shortly after the attacks, a student from a different classroom at Sligo Middle School complained about the Palestinian flag, and her parent contacted the school requesting it be taken down. The school, at the time, agreed that the display didn't violate any rules and therefore could remain. The flag remained on her door until the day after the first anniversary of the Oct. 7 attacks. While Sayed wasn't at school on Monday, Oct. 7, 2024, she came back that Tuesday to find the flag had been taken down and sought to meet with the principal. Principal Peter Crable didn't say who removed the flag, but reportedly told Sayed she couldn't put the Palestinian flag sticker back on her door. Crable deemed that any flag besides the Palestinian flag could be displayed. The lawsuit noted that she is the only South Asian staff member and one of only two Muslim teachers. Sayed wore a Keffiyeh, which is a traditional Palestinian scarf, to express support for the Palestinian people. Tensions remain high in the Middle East During the same Oct. 8, 2024, meeting, Crable told Sayed she had to take off her Keffiyeh that she wore that day, and was no longer allowed to wear it, according to court documents. When pressed, Crable told her the flag and Keffiyeh could be construed as 'antisemitic' or 'supporting terrorism.' Sayed, at some point, learned the student who filed the initial complaint had repeatedly complained to the administration about the flag sticker. Two days later, on Oct. 10, 2024, Sayed put a Watermelon up — which at the time was known as a symbol of solidarity for Palestinians. Cable emailed her the same day, directing her to remove it. 'Crable specifically stated that the reason she could not display the watermelon wasbecause it is a symbol of Palestine solidarity,' the lawsuit reads. On Oct. 21, she wore a 'GAZA: The Soul of My Soul' shirt, which she had worn previously without any incident. The shirt was a reference to Reem Nabhan, a three-year-old Palestinian girl who was killed by Israeli forces in November 2023. Sayed was escorted to the principal's office and given the option to change into a school t-shirt or leave for the day. This was followed by a written Memorandum for the Record, which prevented her from posting, sharing or displaying anything related to 'the conflict in the Middle East.' The memo was added to her contract, creating grounds for termination if she did not follow it. 'Principal Crable and Sligo Middle School's directives forbidding Ms. Sayed from posting the Palestinian flag, from wearing the Keffiyeh, and from making any reference to Palestine while allowing other political flags and political messages to be displayed constitutes unconstitutional viewpoint discrimination,' the lawsuit reads. The lawsuit is seeking to prevent the school from prohibiting Sayed from displaying messages and declaring it unconstitutional under the First Amendment. The lawsuit is also seeking compensatory damages and financial relief. In response to DC News Now's request for a statement, Montgomery County Public Schools said, 'We are unable to comment on possible litigation.' show_multidocs-1Download Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Maryland high school students walk out in protest of classmate's deportation
The Brief Hundreds of Montgomery Blair High School students staged a walkout Thursday to protest the reported deportation of a fellow student. The student, believed to be a junior, was detained by ICE agents earlier this month. SILVER SPRING, Md. - Hundreds of students at Montgomery Blair High School walked out of class Thursday afternoon to protest the recent deportation of a classmate, reportedly a junior, to Guatemala. What we know The protest was organized by the school's chapter of Students for Asylum and Immigration Reform (Students FAIR), a student-led group advocating for immigrant rights across Montgomery County. In a social media post, the group thanked participants and stated that "no one should live in fear, and no one should be taken from their community without due process." The demonstration began near the school's front loop, with students marching around the parking lot as community members lined the sidewalks holding supportive signs. One sign read, "No human is illegal." Other students opened their class windows and waved in support. MORE: ICE to deploy tactical units to Northern Virginia and 4 other cities, sources say Dig deeper Montgomery Blair High School is Maryland's largest public high school, serving almost 3,200 students. According to the Washington Post, about 38 percent of its student body is Hispanic and Latino. While details remain limited, MBHS administrators confirmed the student was not detained on campus. A school staff member told local reporters the student was 18. Due to privacy concerns, neither the school district nor students have publicly identified the individual. MBHS administrators notified families ahead of the protest, noting that Montgomery County Police would be on site for safety. Officers were seen blocking off entrances and monitoring the march. The walkout comes amid nationwide concerns about immigration enforcement. The Source This story includes information from The Washington Post and FOX 5 reporting
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Montgomery Blair High School students organize walkout to support deported classmate
MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. (DC News Now) – Students at Montgomery Blair High School say they're looking for justice for a classmate whom U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) took into custody. They walked out of class to send the message. 'It's a huge shock to the whole Blair community,' Montgomery Blair High School student Alex Gomez-Ordonez said. 'This is an outrage because why are you deporting students. The students have the right to stay. They're trying their best for their future to have an education, and it's very wrong for them to be deported.' Students marched on the bus loop in front of the school for nearly an hour, chanting and holding signs. 'Even though it was just one person,' Montgomery Blair High School student Elaneth Camilo said, 'I feel like we should all get together and try to help out as much as we can and spread awareness.' Camilo says being part of the protest was extremely important for her. 'I have family that is not from here and they've worked so hard to get over here,' she said, 'I think that it would just be a shame if they all just got deported after all their hard work and everything that they have sacrificed and gone through.' Several community members were also at the demonstration. 'We're supposed to have due process in this country, right?' Sue Wheaton said. 'For everybody. So, I think what's going on in this country now is inhumane and cruel, and against American values.' According to the Washington Post, the student was arrested off school property. People at Thursday's walkout declined to give information to protect the student's identity. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
