Latest news with #DarrenSchwartz
Express Tribune
23-03-2025
- Express Tribune
12-year-old charged with hate crime for attacking Muslim students in Connecticut
Two school Muslim girls attacked by a girl in US in connection of hate crimes. PHOTO: PEXELS Listen to article A 12-year-old student in Waterbury, Connecticut, is facing a hate crime charge after allegedly assaulting two Muslim students at a middle school, authorities have confirmed. The girl, whose identity has not been disclosed due to her age, was issued a juvenile court summons on charges of intimidation based on bigotry and bias in both the first and second degrees. According to a joint statement from the Waterbury State's Attorney's Office, local police, and city officials, the attack was motivated by the victims' religion and ethnicity, meeting the legal threshold for a hate crime. The victims—twin 13-year-old girls—reported being punched, kicked, and having their hijabs forcibly removed in the school's locker room during a gym period. The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) says one of the girls suffered facial bruising, while the other sustained an abrasion on her neck after feeling something slide across it. Their father took them to the hospital, where doctors documented bruises and scrapes on their faces, noses, and necks. The incident, which occurred during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, has reignited concerns about rising Islamophobia in the United States. While Waterbury Mayor Paul Pernerewski described the attack as an isolated incident, CAIR contends that the twins had repeatedly faced harassment over their religion and ethnicity. In the weeks leading up to the attack, students had allegedly mocked the girls by using terms such as "Arab," "Muslim," and "Hijab" while making derogatory gestures. Just days before the assault, the same student now charged in the case reportedly made a threatening gesture by dragging her finger across her neck, CAIR said in a letter to city officials. One additional student involved in the locker room attack has been referred to a youth diversionary programme instead of facing formal charges. School and police response Waterbury Public Schools Interim Superintendent Darren Schwartz acknowledged the attack, calling it 'an opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to ensuring students are safe and respectful of one another.' Authorities say police initially investigated the March 3 incident as a disturbance or assault, but later reclassified it as a hate crime after the family provided further details. Waterbury Police Chief Fernando Spagnolo stated: "Every student deserves to feel secure and respected in their learning environment, and we will continue to work closely with our school partners to uphold that standard." CAIR has urged officials to take stronger action to prevent religiously motivated violence in schools. Meanwhile, reports of Islamophobia in the US have reached record levels, with CAIR receiving 8,658 complaints of anti-Muslim bias last year—the highest ever recorded.
Yahoo
23-03-2025
- Yahoo
12-year-old accused in hate crime at Connecticut middle school
A 12-year-old student faces a hate crime charge for her alleged involvement in an attack on twin Muslim students at their Connecticut middle school, authorities and advocates said. The physical altercation happened earlier this month at Wallace Middle School in Waterbury, Connecticut. Through a summons to juvenile court, the accused student was charged with intimidation based on bigotry and bias in the first and second degree, according to the Waterbury Police Department. Police said in a statement that investigators probing the March 3 incident "determined that the altercation was motivated by religion and/or ethnicity, meeting the definition of a hate crime." They also said the classification was reviewed and confirmed by the Waterbury State's Attorney's Office. Another 13-year-old student accused in the altercation was referred to a youth diversionary program instead of being arrested, according to police, "based on her involvement in the incident." Police said their investigation included interviews with students and staff at the school "who were present or otherwise involved" in the incident. The students' names were not released by authorities. According to the Connecticut chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations, the students were targeted for wearing hijabs. CAIR's chair Farhan Memon spoke out about the incident in an interview with the FOX affiliate station WTIC-TV. CAIR has reposted the interview to its social media platforms and website, alongside information about the alleged assault. Both sisters suffered injuries in the altercation, which police characterized as minor. They did not require immediate medical treatment at the scene of the attack, according to police, but CAIR said the injuries were "severe enough to require treatment at a hospital." The organization, which advocates for Muslim civil rights and against Islamophobia in the U.S., called the attack "brutal" in a March 12 post on Facebook. "The parents of the victims sought CAIR's assistance because they felt that they were not receiving sufficient communication from the school regarding disciplinary actions against the perpetrators or a clear plan to ensure their daughters' safety," the organization said. The Waterbury Department of Education has now acknowledged the incident as an act of bullying, police said, adding that education officials have "taken disciplinary action, and implemented enhanced school safety measures in response to the incident." "While this was not part of a widespread problem, this is an opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to ensure our students are safe and respectful of one another," said Darren Schwartz, interim superintendent of Waterbury Public Schools, in a statement. The Waterbury Police Chief said in a separate statement that his department is committed to taking seriously claims of bias-related incidents, adding the investigation into this one "reaffirms our commitment to maintaining a safe and inclusive school environment." CBS News contacted the police and education departments in Waterbury for more information but did not immediately hear back. Nature: Guanacos in Chile Is carbon capture a solution to the climate crisis? Extended interview: Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal on "Othello"
CBS News
23-03-2025
- CBS News
12-year-old accused in hate crime allegedly targeting Muslim students at Connecticut middle school
A 12-year-old student faces a hate crime charge for her alleged involvement in an attack on twin Muslim students at their Connecticut middle school, authorities and advocates said. The physical altercation happened earlier this month at Wallace Middle School in Waterbury, Connecticut. Through a summons to juvenile court, the accused student was charged with intimidation based on bigotry and bias in the first and second degree, according to the Waterbury Police Department. Police said in a statement that investigators probing the March 3 incident "determined that the altercation was motivated by religion and/or ethnicity, meeting the definition of a hate crime." They also said the classification was reviewed and confirmed by the Waterbury State's Attorney's Office. Another 13-year-old student accused in the altercation was referred to a youth diversionary program instead of being arrested, according to police, "based on her involvement in the incident." Police said their investigation included interviews with students and staff at the school "who were present or otherwise involved" in the incident. The attack allegedly targeted twin seventh-grade students for wearing hijabs, according to the Connecticut chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations, whose chair Farhan Memon spoke out about the incident in an interview with the FOX affiliate station WTIC-TV . CAIR has reposted the interview to its social media platforms and website, alongside information about the alleged assault. Both sisters suffered injuries in the altercation, which police characterized as minor. They did not require immediate medical treatment at the scene of the attack, according to police, but CAIR said the injuries were "severe enough to require treatment at a hospital." The organization, which advocates for Muslim civil rights and against Islamophobia in the U.S., called the attack "brutal" in a March 12 post on Facebook . "The parents of the victims sought CAIR's assistance because they felt that they were not receiving sufficient communication from the school regarding disciplinary actions against the perpetrators or a clear plan to ensure their daughters' safety," the organization said. The Waterbury Department of Education has now acknowledged the incident as an act of bullying, police said, adding that education officials have "taken disciplinary action, and implemented enhanced school safety measures in response to the incident." "While this was not part of a widespread problem, this is an opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to ensure our students are safe and respectful of one another," said Darren Schwartz, interim superintendent of Waterbury Public Schools, in a statement. The Waterbury Police Chief said in a separate statement that his department is committed to taking seriously claims of bias-related incidents and said the investigation into this one "reaffirms our commitment to maintaining a safe and inclusive school environment." CBS News contacted the police and education departments in Waterbury for more information but did not immediately hear back.
