When Hate Gets Violent
A Muslim Student’s True Story
In August 2023, an 8th grade Muslim student in Orange County transferred to a new public school and was immediately targeted by a group of bullies due to his ethnicity.
They made derogatory comments, called him names, and told him to leave the country.
Undeterred due to zero administrative or staff intervention, the bullies became violent.
They threw his helmet, hurled an apple at his face, and then physically assaulted him – breaking his shoulder bone.
Dismissively, the school chose to look the other way.
Overpowered by fear and anxiety, he stopped going to school altogether.
The family reached out to CAIR-CA, who advocated on their behalf to address and remedy the situation immediately.
The school was compelled to find viable solutions, and the family opted to transfer their son back to his former school; the process was completed within 24 hours.
The Muslim Experience
This student is one of many.
We found that 1 in 2 Muslim students experience bullying at school.
Take Action
Report Bullying. If you’ve been a victim of bullying, report the incident to your school and to organizations like CAIR-CA.
Take our Bullying Survey to help combat Islamophobia in schools: bit.ly/cphbbullyingsurvey
