District denies anti-Semitism at Leo Hayes
Israeli family alleges Muslim girl attacked student because she’s Jewish, accuses district education council, faculty of failing to prevent violence, allowing discriminatory atmosphere
The local anglophone school district has pushed back against an Israeli student’s lawsuit alleging anti-Semitism, asserting in a court filing the girl provoked an attack by a Muslim student.
A Jewish girl and her father filed a notice of action and statement of claim in September against a fellow Leo Hayes High School student, who’s Muslim; her parents; the Anglophone West district education council (DEC) and an unknown adult male.
The Israeli girl and her father included their name on the original lawsuit, as well as that of the Muslim girl. In the meantime, lawyers for the Muslim girl sought a publication ban to protect her identity.
The plaintiffs subsequently filed an amended statement of claim, removing the Muslim girl’s name as well as their own.
The lawsuit arose as a result of a physical altercation between the two high-school girls April 30 that was captured on cellphone video and shared extensively in local social-media circles.
The court action alleges the Muslim girl attacked the Jewish girl twice on that day, once inside the school and once off school grounds. The one caught on video was the latter of the two.
The Jewish girl and her father, acting as her litigation guardian, are seeking unspecified damages, alleging the faculty and administration at the high school, which is included in Anglophone West, allowed an atmosphere of anti-Semitism to grow and thrive at the school.
But in a statement of defence filed Oct. 29 with the Court of King’s Bench in Fredericton, the district education council refutes the allegations, asserting school officials went to great lengths to ensure the Jewish girl’s safety.