A middle schooler in Connecticut has been accused of committing a hate crime after a fight with two Muslim students, where they were allegedly beat up.
The 12-year-old female student from Wallace Middle School in Waterbury was charged with intimidation based on bigotry and bias in the first- and second-degree on Friday through a court-issued summons to Waterbury Juvenile Court following the incident which took place earlier this month.
According to reports, the 12-year-old and another female student got into a fight with twin 13-year-old girls who are from Egypt and regularly wear hijabs to school on March 3.
One victim was allegedly “punched in the face and had bruises on her face and a bloody nose” while the other victim “had something scraped across her neck” which caused “contusions and bruising,” the chairperson of the local Council of American–Islamic Relations chapter claimed.
"On Monday, March 3, the sisters were beaten and had their hijabs ripped off, a spokesperson for the family said at the time, according to local reports.
While the initial incident report claimed no students needed medical attention, the report from the Islamic advocacy group said the injuries were enough to require hospital treatment.
“Investigators determined that the altercation was motivated by religion and/or ethnicity, meeting the legal definition of a hate crime,” the Waterbury State’s Attorney Office said in a joint press release.
The City of Waterbury Department of Education said it has taken disciplinary action and enhanced school safety measures.
The other female student involved in the fight was referred to a youth diversionary program as an alternative to arrest.
Leaders in the community and the school praised investigative efforts in a joint press release and contended that the incident was isolated.
“The students who instigated the incident will be properly disciplined by the school district and face appropriate consequences in the judicial system,” Mayor Paul Pernerewski said. “While this is an isolated incident, I remain committed to working with the Waterbury Police and the Education Department to ensure our students have a safe and welcoming educational experience.”
Farhan Memon, the chairperson of the Connecticut chapter of the Council of American–Islamic Relations disputed whether it was ioslated.
“We vehemently disagree with Waterbury’s assessment that this was an isolated case. We’ve heard from other parents of Muslim students that their kids have been harassed because of their religion,” Memon said.
Memon told WTNH News8 on March 11 that the two girls were “scared to go back to school” due to the assault.
