Washington Post Takes Deep Dive Into Maplewood Hijab Incident With New Details

MAPLEWOOD, NJ — A controversial incident in the Maplewood schools in 2021 involving a second grader's hijab has resulted in several lawsuits, the district paying a longtime teacher "not to teach," and news stories in the New York Times and other outlets.

Now, the Washington Post has done a deep dive into the incident in October 2021 in which a longtime Maplewood teacher talked to a second grade student about her religious hijab (and either removed or "brushed" it, depending on the source). Revealing new quotes from the student's family, the story notes, "Evidence of antisemitism competed against allegations of Islamophobia as an online debate divided this suburban community." You can read the Post's version here.

Read prior reporting on in the incident in Maplewood Patch here: Maplewood Teacher Will Not Be Charged In Student Hijab Case