Fort Worth ISD Muslim principal sues after district removes her over past social media posts
Fort Worth ISD principal sues to get her job back
A longtime Fort Worth ISD educator who says she was the victim of right-wing extremists is now fighting her case in federal court. She says she was promoted to principal and then abruptly reassigned based on the internet's reaction to her Muslim faith.
FORT WORTH, Texas - There are new developments in the legal battle involving the now-reassigned Western Hills High School principal who is suing the Fort Worth Independent School District.
Fort Worth ISD Muslim Principal Removed
The backstory:
Shayma Alzubi is a longtime educator who is Palestinian and of Muslim faith.
In May, she was promoted to the role of principal at Western Hills High School. But weeks later, that promotion was rescinded.
The district said the action was due to a pending investigation into Alzubi’s past social media posts on her personal Facebook account.
Some of those posts mentioned or highlighted the Black Lives Matter movement, support for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), and support for wearing masks during the pandemic.
Fort Worth ISD’s new Muslim principal reassigned over past social media posts
Fort Worth ISD has reassigned Western Hills High School’s new principal, Shayma Alzubi, because of past social media posts that the district claims violate staff policy. Critics argue she’s the victim of religious discrimination.
What they're saying:
In late May, faith leaders, educators, and community advocates shared frustrations over what they described as the school district bowing to internet uproar from conservative extremists.
"What happened here sends a dangerous message," said Fadya Salem.
"I'm seeing the titles being about this principal, you know, being charged because of her posts. And I think the real title needs to be that the board of managers is allowing right-wing influencers to be their HR," added EJ Carrion with the 817 Podcast.
Shayma Alzubi Sues Fort Worth ISD
What's new:
Alzubi is now suing Fort Worth ISD. She’s asking to be reinstated as the Western Hills principal while the case outcome is pending.
Alzubi’s lawsuit alleges her 1st and 14th Amendment rights to free speech and equal protection were violated.
The suit also states the district’s move to reassign her was "motivated, at least in part, by her Muslim identity and national origin rather than solely by concerns about the content of her social media posts."
The other side:
FOX 4 reached out to Fort Worth ISD for a response to the lawsuit, but the district declined to comment and said it considers personnel matters to be confidential.
"Ms. Alzubi has been promoted to the position of Principal Program Administrator, a districtwide leadership position focused on supporting campuses in key areas of academic acceleration," the Fort Worth ISD’s communications office said in a statement.
However, the court filings Alzubi’s legal team filed make it clear she believes this was a job that was made up and that she has not accepted it.
What's next:
Fort Worth ISD has until tomorrow to file its response to Alzubi’s request for a temporary injunction. The judge in the case will decide whether to grant it.
The Source: FOX 4's Dionne Anglin gathered the information for this story from the court filings, Shayma Alzubi's legal team, and statements from Fort Worth ISD.