BROOKLYN, N.Y. - Zaman Mashrah says her son Ilyas Aljahmi was humiliated as a student at P.S. 264 in May after a lunch aide accused the 9-year-old of acting up. He says she subjected him to a cruel punishment during the holy month of Ramadan, when Muslims are obligated to fast.
"She told me to sit right in this chair, this table by myself and watch people eat while I fast," Aljahmi said.
Aljahmi recalls that while other friends who were observing the holiday were being escorted to the Brooklyn school's theatre to spend their lunch break, he was separated and brought to the cafeteria to have his will tested.
"That made me feel sad, angry and depressed, mostly sad," he said.
"I was crying my heart out just imagining my son being there in the cafeteria alone, scared," Mashrah said.
The family has filed a complaint with the City Commission on Human Rights against the city's Department of Education for failing to take action against the aide they said discriminated against the fifth grader.
"It was up to the Department of Eduation to pursue it and it been almost six months now and I have yet to receive anything," Mashrah said.
"She's still on the job and no measures were taken no actions in terms of informing her," said Waleed Aljahmi, Ilyas' father.
The family has decided to pull Ilyas out of PS 264 and enroll him in a private Islamic school.
"We had to take him out of a school that he was in for five years since kindergarten, that was pretty upsetting, he had his classmates his friends," Aljahmi said.
"I like my new school but I wish I could graduate with them," said Ilyas Aljahmi.
His parents say they're outraged, blaming the DOE for making the wrong choice in this case.
"To protect my child or to protect their employee and they decided to protect their employee," Mashrah said.
NY1 asked education officials about what happened to Ilyas. A spokesperson responded by saying, "Schools must be safe, supportive and inclusive environments, and these very concerning allegations were immediately reported for investigation. We take any allegation of discrimination seriously, and will review the complaint."
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Correction: A previous version of this story said the family was suing the Department of Education. The family has actually filed a complaint with the City Commission on Human Rights.