Washington, (IANS): A teacher at a school in the US was fired after he ripped off the hijab from an 8-year-old girl’s head for refusing to get out of his chair.
Oghenetega Edah, 31, demanded that Safa Alzockary at the Bennington School on Adee Avenue in Bronx take off her religious scarf, police said.
The girl was misbehaving in class and sitting on the teacher’s chair without his permission. So the teacher tapped her on her arm to get her to move. When she wouldn’t, he threatened to take the scarf, the New York Post reported on Tuesday.
“I’m taking it off,” he said as he pulled the hijab off her head, causing an injury to her right eye.
The incident happened last week and is currently under investigation.
Safa was traumatised by the teacher’s actions and called the incident “scary”, said the report.
Edah became a substitute teacher in January 2017. His termination was effective from May 3.
“This alleged behaviour is completely unacceptable,” Michael Aciman, a spokesperson of the Department of Education, said.
“This individual was removed from the school immediately and his employment has been terminated,” Aciman added.
Parents at the school said the ill-tempered substitute only worked at Bennington for a short while.
“It’s crazy,” said Yvarie Ortiz, 33, as she picked up her daughter Safa, a first-grader.
“I just feel like teachers are supposed to control their anger a little bit more. That’s why they’re there. To teach and be calm. They’re supposed to be patient. That’s your job.”