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Washoe County School District pays to settle bullying suit

Reported by: Shelby Sheehan
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Updated: 7/05/2011 2:23 pm
RENO, Nev. (AP) -- The Washoe County School District has agreed to pay $400,000 to settle civil rights lawsuits involving a Muslim girl who dropped out of school after being bullied for wearing a head scarf and her religion.

Jana Elhifny will receive $350,000 in the settlement announced early Wednesday. Stephanie Hart, a non-Muslim who was ostracized when she befriended Elhifny at North Valleys High School and also left school will receive $50,000.

Elhifny and her family came to Reno from Egypt in 2003. In her lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court, she said she faced death threats and harassment, and that school administrators did nothing
to stop it.

The monetary award will be paid by the district's insurance carrier.

The district also agreed to work with lawyers on harassment and discrimination policies.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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Native Nevadan - 8/24/2012 1:44 PM
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I think the muslims nation wide heard about her winning. Now a muslim women that has worked at Disneyland in California for 3 years without a scarf wants to wear one. She was told "no" because it doesn't fit the theme in her area. She knew the dress code called for the uniform when she was hired. They offered her a different position but she refused. Now she is sueing Disneyland. One more way to break us. My kids had to wear uniforms. They didn't like it. If you cannot follow dress code then go to SCHOOL ONLINE. That is her religion. We are Christians and we aren't allowed to say a word about that. Displaying her head scarf is making a statement about her religion. That is not what we are in school to do. Dress code is dress code for all. No hats or head covering in school. Boundries are set for a reason. We will have total chaos over here if we do not keep them. They have total Chaos over seas. Why did we pay her our tax dollars? We hardly have money to educate our students now. How do you know that will not go to funding something else??? Sue the kids parents that are bullying her. She will get bullied especially if she doesn't follow the same rules as everyone else has to. If you cannot talk about being a Christian then why do we acknowledge Muslims. It is not the School Districts fault. It is the kids parents that bullied her or her own parents fault for not educating her on line because she will not follow the dress Code. BOUNDRIES! RULES! or CHAOS!

Native Nevadan - 8/24/2012 12:50 PM
0 Votes
Well every kid in school is called gay. The kids don't want to say who is doing it because then it gets worse. It worse then any of us know. Sparks High had a young man kill himself last year because of bullying.
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