Elham Asaad Buaras

A substitute teacher lost his job in a New York elementary school after forcibly removing a hijab from an 8-year-old student in class, according to media reports. Oghenetega Edah, 31, who worked as a substitute teacher at Bennington School in the Bronx told Safa Alzockary to remove her hijab after she reportedly misbehaved in class on May 2, according to police sources.

Edah then ripped the hijab off Alzockary’s head, causing irritation to her eye, police said.
The child was taken to Jacobi Medical Centre where a doctor said there was no permanent damage to her eye.

New York City Education Department spokesman Michael Aciman said behavior of Edah’s conduct “unacceptable”. “This individual was removed from the school immediately and his employment has been terminated,” Aciman said in the statement.

“This alleged behaviour is completely unacceptable,” he added.

But Safa, whose twin sister and older brother also attend Bennington School, was traumatised by the teacher’s alleged actions. “It was scary,” Safa told the New York Daily News. Safa’s dad Mohamed Alzockary, a grocery worker who emigrated from Yemen, was shocked by what his daughter said happened in school. “I didn’t expect a teacher to do that to a child,” Alzockary said. “She’s OK right now.”

Police are also investigating Edah but say they have not arrested him