US teacher on leave over extremist remark to Palestinian child

A Pennsylvania public school teacher has been placed on administrative leave after allegedly making an offensive remark about a Palestinian American middle school student, according to the school district and a Muslim advocacy organization, as reported by Reuters.

The Central Dauphin School District announced on Saturday that it was investigating claims that the teacher made the comment during an after-school program last week.

"The teacher involved in the alleged incident is on administrative leave pending our investigation," the district said in a statement, emphasizing its zero-tolerance policy for racist or discriminatory speech.

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The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) reported that the teacher allegedly told the student, “I do not negotiate with terrorists,” after the student requested to change seats.

This incident comes amid a surge in hate-related incidents across the US involving Muslim communities. Recent cases include the attempted drowning of a 3-year-old Palestinian American girl in Texas, the fatal stabbing of a 6-year-old Palestinian American boy in Illinois, and the shooting of three Palestinian American students in Vermont. Other incidents include violent attacks on Palestinian Americans in California, Texas, and New York.