(Bergen Record) The Maplewood Police Department has opened an inquiry into allegations that a teacher “forcibly” removed the hijab of a second grade student, the South Orange-Maplewood School District announced. The teacher, meanwhile, spoke out, calling the incident a misunderstanding.
In a statement sent to the Record and NorthJersey.com through her attorney, Tamar Herman, a teacher at Seth Boyden Elementary School in Maplewood, said the student was wearing a hooded sweatshirt in place of a hijab.
“Last week, I asked one of my students to raise the hood of her sweatshirt because it was covering her eyes,” Herman said. “With her mask on, too, her whole face was covered. I gently got her attention by brushing up the front of her hood. The moment I realized she was not wearing her usual hijab underneath, she kept the hood on. And the learning went on.”
