Muslim Fort Worth principal pushes back on district's claim that her reassignment was a promotion
The legal battle over a Fort Worth ISD administrator's job continues to play out in federal court as she fights to get reinstated as the principal of Western Hills High School with the school year approaching.
Shayma Alzubi, a Palestinian-American and Muslim educator who has worked for Fort Worth ISD for 13 years, sued the district last month alleging violations of her constitutional rights. In May, the district announced that it had promoted Alzubi to be principal of Western Hills High School, but reassigned her to a desk job days later after backlash from some members of the public.
Why did Fort Worth ISD reassign Shayma Alzubi?
According to the lawsuit, criticism intensified after the district shared a photo of Alzubi wearing a hijab to announce her promotion. Critics then began reviewing her social media activity and raising concerns about several posts that showed her support for divisive issues like Palestinian independence and the Black Lives Matter movement.
Alzubi argued that the district violated her First Amendment right to free speech by moving her to the role of Principal Program Administrator, which oversees training and development of school administrators. Alzubi's attorneys asked the court for an injunction to force FWISD to reinstate her as WHHS principal.
In its filing to oppose the injunction, the district characterized her reassignment as a promotion, as it comes with a higher salary. The district also maintains that Alzubi "remains a valued and integral leader" within FWISD. An internal investigation determined her social media posts did not violate any policy, so lawyers argued her rights were not violated.
The district also said Alzubi's contract was not specifically for the WHHS principal role but as a "certified administrator" within the district. That gives FWISD leaders the ability to reassign her "in the best interest of the district." Leaders chose to do so, lawyers wrote, because of safety concerns for Alzubi and the WHHS campus that arose following the announcement of her promotion.
What are Alzubi and Fort Worth ISD arguing in court?
Those concerns, the district said, included a postcard addressed to Alzubi at WHHS threatening sexual violence against her and others. The district said a WHHS staff member had also received a phone call threatening her with physical violence.
In a response of their own, Alzubi's attorneys argued that while her new assignment as program administrator has a higher salary, it still amounts to a demotion because it carries fewer responsibilities and "hides her away" in the District Service Center, as opposed to a student-facing position on campus.
Alzubi's attorneys also wrote that the district did not investigate whether the threats were credible before reassigning her, and even if they were, additional security measures could have been implemented at WHHS. Her new role, Alzubi's attorneys say, would have her driving by herself to various campuses across the district, potentially exposing her to more danger than being on a campus with a regular security presence.
It is not yet clear when U.S. District Judge Mark Pittman will make a ruling on the injunction.
