CAIR-CHICAGO CALLS FOR RESIGNATION OF SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER OVER OFFENSIVE REMARKS TARGETING MUSLIMS, OTHER MINORITIES
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CAIR-Chicago Calls for Resignation of School Board Member Over Offensive Remarks Targeting Muslims, Other Minorities
Demand for Probe into School Board
(CHICAGO, IL, 5/21/2018) – The Chicago office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Chicago) today called on O’Fallon District 90 School Board Member Steve Springer to resign over offensive comments targeting Muslims and other minorities.
The Muslim civil rights organization also demanded that O’Fallon District 90 School Superintendent Carrie Hruby and School Board President John Wagnon investigate Springer’s inflammatory remarks.
CAIR-Chicago said the inflammatory comments that Springer made against minority students included, “next up? Yes, next will be a place for Mohamed to wash his little feet and face Mecca three times during the school day.”
Springer has also publicly criticized the district library for holding a reading of a book centering around civil rights and social activism.
SEE: Muslim advocacy group joins parents, teachers calling on O’Fallon, Ill., school board member to resign
Springer is a part of a group called Metro East Pachyderm Club, which has a reputation of discrimination and prejudice.
In December 2014, the group invited Bill “Warner” French, a Tennessee State University physics professor, who claimed to be an “expert on political Islam” to speak. Warner claims “Islam is not constructed on the same civilizational principles as the rest of the world.” Warner also stated that he is labeled as “one of the top ten bigots in America” because he held such Islamophobic views, followed by applause by his audience. In addition to Warner, Metroeast Pachyderm Club also invited Usama Dakdok to another event. Dakdok is a pastor known for heavily Islamophobic views, stating “every Muslim is a demon,” and “there is no good Muslim.”
CAIR-Chicago has been alerted that multiple elected officials in the region are a part of that group, including: Steve West, St. Clair County Board Member, Fred Boch, County Board Member, Jerry Albrecht, O’Fallon City Alderman, and Jim Vernier, Village of Shiloh Mayor.
CAIR-Chicago is the Chicago office of America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Our mission is to defend civil rights, fight bigotry, and promote tolerance.
CONTACT: CAIR-Chicago Executive Director Ahmed Rehab, 202-870-0166, arehab@cair.com; CAIR-Chicago Communications Coordinator Saadia Pervaiz, 312-212-1520, spervaiz@cair.com; CAIR-Chicago Communications Coordinator Asha Binbek, 312-212-1520, abinbek@cair.com