In a $25 million lawsuit, the parents have alleged that their 12-yr-old son was falsely made to sign a confession
New York: A 12-year-old Pakistani-American special needs student was forced by a school here to sign a false confession stating that he was part of ISIS and wanted to blow up the school fence, according to a $25 million lawsuit filed by his family.
The East Islip Union Free School District has been sued by the Muslim family who have claimed that their son Nashwan Uppal was taunted by his classmates as a “terrorist” and then asked repeatedly by school officials if he was a terrorist, if he made bombs, if he knew who “Osama” was and if he was part of ISIS.
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The lawsuit, which was filed in Brooklyn federal court, claims Uppal was sitting in the lunchroom on January 6 when other kids started asking him what he was going to “blow up next”, the New York Post reported.
Uppal, who has severe learning and social disabilities, attempted to move as adults in the lunchroom did nothing, according to the lawsuit, but the bullies followed him and continued their Islamophobic taunts. The suit says, the next day, Uppal was pulled from gym class by Superintendent John Dolan, Principal Mark Bernard and Assistant Principal Jason Stanton, and interrogated.
“Stanton repeatedly asked Nashwan if he was a terrorist, and if he made bombs in his house,” the suit says. When he said no, an increasingly irate Stanton allegedly bellowed, “Don’t lie to us!”
A trembling Uppal was forced to write a confession saying he was “part of ISIS, knew how to make bombs, that he had bombs in his house, and that he was going to blow up the school fence,” the suit alleges.
Officials eventually let him call his mother, Nubaisha Amar, who was told her son had pledged allegiance to ISIS and was going to blow up the school. The police then escorted mother and son back to their home before searching the entire house and concluding he was no threat. However, Uppal was suspended for a week for “criminal activity”.
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