Muslim Advocacy Group Presses Houston ISD Over Alleged Cafeteria Attack on Afghan Girls

The Houston chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) is calling on Houston ISD to let Afghan girls transfer schools after they were allegedly attacked in the cafeteria of Paul Revere Middle School in west Houston.

According to the advocacy group, three students were physically attacked on March 3 and stabbed with pencils by more than 20 classmates, possibly because of their ethnicity and their hijabs. CAIR said one student was taken to Texas Children's Hospital afterward. It said she still wears a neck brace and continues to suffer "both physical and emotional trauma."

Houston ISD offered a different account of some details. A district police investigation identified one victim, the district said, and seven students identified as aggressors received disciplinary consequences "aligned with the district's code of conduct." School staff met with the victim's family on March 6 to address their concerns.

A district spokesperson said HISD takes student safety very seriously and that images of the incident do not meet the standards it expects. "While some of the details shared in CAIR's press release do not match the facts of the investigation, the district shares CAIR's belief that the incident warranted both consequences for the aggressors and care for the victim," the spokesperson said.

The district also said the victim is in the process of transferring schools and that parents were advised of their right to press charges. The family's attorney, Ahsan Patoli, disputed that, saying the student was offered a transfer and then denied it.

CAIR-Houston Director William White called the situation unacceptable. "These students came to this country in search of safety and stability—what they endured instead is a complete failure of accountability and compassion," he said. He urged HISD to ensure the students' safety, support their healing and make clear that violence and bias will not be tolerated.

The group is demanding a "full, independent investigation" and accountability for any students or staff "who failed to act." Representatives for the families also asked for trauma-informed support for the victims and their families, along with clear policies to prevent future violence and discrimination. According to a release, the family believes the three were wrongly identified and targeted because of "middle school drama" on the campus.

Patoli, a Houston native, said the family is not seeking financial gain but hopes the district will make schools safer districtwide. "Every child, regardless of background, deserves to learn without fear for their safety in our schools," he said.

The alleged attack followed a separate request from CAIR that Houston ISD reinstate a day off for students and staff for Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadan. The district first observed the holiday in 2023 after requests from the city's Muslim community, making it one of only three religious holidays it recognized at the time.

It also comes as some Houston Muslims have worried about a possible rise in Islamophobia after the New Year's Day attack in New Orleans that killed 14 people. The FBI identified the attacker as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a 42-year-old Army veteran from Houston. His brother said he grew up practicing Islam but did not see him at his neighborhood mosque, and the Islamic Society of Greater Houston told Houston Public Media he was not a formal member of its 21 mosques.