Parent Directs 'Defamatory Speech' Toward Muslim Member: EBSD

BROOKFIELD, WI— An unedited clip from Tuesday night's Elmbrook School District School Board meeting has surfaced. The meeting was to discuss how to reopen Elmbrook schools in the fall.

A parent, who addressed herself as Heidi Anderson, "made a targeted and defamatory speech" towards Dr. Mushir Bin Hassan, one of the school board members, the school board said in a letter sent to the community.

Patch called a number listed for Anderson but there was no answer. The ISM Brookfield stated they would send out a press release Thursday evening.

The letter was sent out to the school community and posted on the board's website.

"As leaders of the Board, we are deeply sorry for not taking stronger action to limit this resident’s deplorable remarks and ask her to leave the Board room.

"Our school district values and celebrates the diversity in our community. Diversity encompasses race, religion, cultures, and differences in opinion.

Each of these adds to the fabric that makes our community great. However, while we emphatically support open dialogue and active listening to those with differing opinions and perspectives, we will not condone speech designed to create chasms between those in our community and as such, have removed the video segment from our recorded meeting."

The woman identified herself as Heidi Anderson. Earlier in the meeting, she said she was not in support of continuing virtual learning.

"Six-foot distance and wearing masks are pagan rituals of satanic worshipers," Anderson said at the meeting.

Patch was able to see the part of Anderson's statement which was edited out of the recorded version of the meeting posted online. Anderson is heard saying the following in the clip:

"Dr. Mushir, and I hope I'm saying this correctly. You are not the right person to be the board liaison. You do not practice infectious disease. You have a political leaning, contrary to this district. You online state you are a big Obama fan and comply mentally with his control and philosophy. You publicly slam our President Trump. As a leader in the Islamic community are you not? Listen, my children are Christian and they are not subject to wearing these face coverings. Christian children should not be forced to wear face coverings anymore than children who are Islamic or Muslim should be forced to, as you put it, be subjected to the American style of the sexualization of children and have to wear less clothing than you are comfortable with your children wearing."

A member of the board warned Anderson of the need to avoid defamatory statements, according to the clip. Another member also tried to tell her to end her comments, the clip showed.

EBSD stated in their letter, "Our community values civil discourse and understands that disagreements are inevitable. However, the behavior displayed at Tuesday’s meeting was far beyond the boundaries of acceptable conduct.

We would like to publicly apologize to Dr. Mushir Hassan for what occurred during our meeting.

Dr. Hassan is a valued member of our School Board and Community and he deserved an immediate response that did not come soon enough. We would also like to apologize to the community that had to endure this unseemly behavior."

This story will be updated as new information is learned.

In July, a vulgar remark caught on a hot mic during a Zoom meeting led to the removal of a member on the Elmbrook School Reopening Task Force.

"A vulgar term was used to describe teachers by a task force member who was participating online on an unmuted microphone while another task force member was speaking," Mark Hansen, Superintendent of the Elmbrook School District, said in an email to staff.

Hansen apologized for not addressing the comment directly during the live broadcast and condemned the vulgar language used. The remark was removed from the YouTube video of the meeting before being republished.