Elham Asaad Buaras
A New Jersey teenager is suing her former PE teacher for allegedly harassing her over her Egyptian heritage, Muslim faith, and skin colour.
Jana Gadalla, 19, a recent Bridgewater-Raritan High School graduate, filed the lawsuit on June 9 in Somerset County, naming teachers Kathie DeBonis, Vincent DelPriore, and the Bridgewater-Raritan School District as defendants.
According to the complaint, DeBonis — a longtime girls’ lacrosse coach and health teacher — repeatedly made derogatory remarks to Gadalla throughout the 2022–2023 school year.
On one occasion, DeBonis allegedly told Gadalla, “This is America”, before adding, “By the time you are 16, you will probably be in jail anyway.”
The lawsuit also claims that during Ramadan 2023, DeBonis mocked Gadalla’s faith, allegedly telling her, “If I were you, I would just go drink alcohol,” and asking, “Do you think you’re going to go to hell or something?”
In another alleged Ramadan-related incident, DeBonis told Gadalla, “It’s good that you’re fasting during Ramadan, maybe you’ll lose some weight.”
The suit further claims the teacher called Gadalla “obese” and assigned her a three-page paper on obesity, which she had to complete before being allowed to use the bathroom.Gadalla says she reported the behaviour to the principal and a school counsellor, after which she was removed from DeBonis’ class.
Upon noticing her absence, DeBonis allegedly asked the class, “Who snitched to the principal?”
The lawsuit asserts that Gadalla suffered anxiety, sleep disturbances, humiliation, and other symptoms of emotional distress because of the alleged harassment.
It also contends that DeBonis did not direct similar comments towards lighter-skinned, non-Muslim, non-Egyptian students.
DeBonis, who retired during the 2023–2024 school year, allegedly made the remarks the previous year. According to NJ.com, she now receives an annual pension of about $70,000, roughly £54,600.
The case is drawing media attention now because the court filings were only recently made public. With the school district’s legal response due by 29 August 2025, the fast-approaching deadline has been put in the spotlight.
Photo: Bridgewater-Raritan High School, New Jersey
Credit: Wikimedia Commons
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