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(MINNEAPOLIS, MN, 11/15/2016) - The Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MN) today expressed concern about the lack of response by school officials in Coon Rapids, Minn., to an alleged assault on a Muslim middle schooler.

CAIR-MN says the family of the Northdale Middle School student reported that their child is feeling emotionally and physically distressed after she was allegedly assaulted on Friday by a classmate who came up behind her and violently pulled off her Islamic head scarf (hijab) and threw it on the ground. The classmate also pulled on her hair and let it come down in front of other students. The Muslim student now feels unsafe in the school and has yet to return to school.

School officials did not respond to the incident until Tuesday, despite the fact that the incident was reported immediately by the student and after being contacted by the family on Friday.

"School officials must take immediate actions to ensure that all students, regardless of their faith or ethnicity, are provided a safe learning environment," said CAIR-MN Executive Director Jaylani Hussein. "It should not take days to respond to an apparently bias-motivated assault on a student."

He said CAIR has noted a spike in incidents targeting American Muslims and other minority groups since the November 8 presidential election.