Islamic group files federal complaint on behalf of Cambridge student

CAMBRIDGE - The Maryland office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations said it has filed an online complaint with the U.S. Board of Education's Office of Civil Rights on behalf of a 12-year-old Cambridge girl.

The filing came two days after Islamic communities from Baltimore and Philadelphia arrived in Cambridge to hold a support rally for Mace's Lane Middle School student Tori Gibbs and a meeting with school administrators.

"There's no justification for the negligence and systematic failures that contributed to the prolonged trauma this child was forced to endure," said Council on American-Islamic Relations Maryland Director Zainab Chaudry in a statement.

"Parents entrust schools with their children's safety and well-being, and Mace's Lane Middle School administrators failed that trust. They failed to protect Latoya Gibbs' daughter from harm or provide her with a safe learning environment," Chaudry said.

The director said the council is seeking more than an apology.

“We are seeking systematic reforms and policy changes,” Chaudry said.

The council said it seeking the following:

•Public apology for the distress and trauma;

•Appropriate disciplinary consequences for the school principal and staff who were notified of the reported assaults and bullying but failed to take adequate action;

•Mandatory cultural competency training on Islam and Muslims for educators and administrators at Mace's Lane Middle School;

•Anti-bullying training for students at Mace's Lane Middle School;

•Appropriate restorative measures against students involved in the reported assaults and bullying;

•Policy review and amendments of the school's process to handle bullying and assault incidents;

•Accommodations and supplemental tutoring for the child to be able to make up missed classroom instruction.