A federal judge will not force Fort Worth ISD to reinstate Shayma Alzubi as Western Hills principal after she was reassigned amid a flood of online hate.
By Sarah Bahari
Dallas Morning News
https://www.dallasnews.com/
A federal judge will not force Fort Worth ISD to reinstate a high school principal reassigned after her hiring ignited a flood of online hate.
U.S. District Judge Mark Pittman said Tuesday that Shayma Alzubi was not harmed by the reassignment, adding that she was moved to a “higher-paying and arguably less stressful position.”
“Alzubi is not a scapegoat, nor has she lost her freedom of speech,” the judge wrote. “Alzubi made posts on her personal social media account, which received a negative public response upon the public announcement of her new role. The backlash not only puts Alzubi in danger, but also her coworkers and students.”
Attorneys for Alzubi and Fort Worth ISD did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
In May, Fort Worth ISD announced Alzubi as the new principal of Western Hills High School, including a photograph of Alzubi wearing a hijab, or Muslim head scarf.
That announcement sparked a firestorm from far-right groups, which shared the announcement and snippets from Alzubi’s social media pages. In one, Alzubi shared a post by Texas Reporter that said Shariah is not a threat to Texas but the moral code laid out in Muslim scriptures.
Others showed support of Black Lives Matter, Palestinians and Dreamers, the term given to immigrants brought to the U.S. illegally as children. Various accounts urged followers to contact Fort Worth ISD to voice opposition.
Four days after the announcement, the district removed the post and said in a statement that Alzubi was reassigned pending an internal investigation.
Alzubi sued the district, alleging that it violated her rights to freedom of speech and equal protection under the law. The district’s attorneys argued she was reassigned over safety concerns, not her social media posts.
The district later offered Alzubi a promotion to a district-level position and a $130,000 salary, roughly $10,000 more than the principal salary. Alzubi did not accept the position, according to court documents.
“I applied for the position of principal and that is the job I was hired to do,” she wrote. “That is the job I have worked for and so that is the job I want.”
Alzubi began her career in 2013 as a science teacher in Fort Worth. Her supporters and colleagues have accused the district of caving to “anti-Muslim hysteria” and online trolls.
The turmoil comes as Fort Worth ISD is under state control. Last year, the Texas Education Agency took over the district after a campus received a failing rating for five consecutive years.
Education Commissioner Mike Morath installed former Florida educator Peter Licata to lead the district, and appointed a board of managers to oversee the district’s affairs.
Since the takeover, nearly 800 teachers have submitted their resignations, citing chaotic leadership, intense micromanagement and difficult working conditions.
Trending Reporter
Sarah Bahari is a trending news reporter. She previously worked as a writer for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, where she covered a bit of everything. She is a graduate of Kansas State University.
