A federal judge has denied a request to reinstate Shayma Alzubi as principal of Western Hills High School in Fort Worth after the district reassigned her following online backlash over social media posts.<\/p>\n
U.S. District Judge Mark Pittman ruled Tuesday that Alzubi was not harmed by the reassignment. He noted she was moved to a higher-paying and arguably less stressful district-level position. In his order, Pittman wrote that Alzubi \u201cis not a scapegoat, nor has she lost her freedom of speech.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fort Worth ISD announced Alzubi as the new principal of Western Hills High School in May. Shortly after the public announcement, which included a photo of Alzubi wearing a hijab, her past social media posts drew significant online criticism. The district then reassigned her pending an internal investigation.<\/p>\n
District officials have said the reassignment was driven by safety concerns for Alzubi, staff and students amid the public response. The district later offered her a Principal Program Administrator role with a salary of about $130,000 \u2014 roughly $10,000 more than the Western Hills principal position. Alzubi declined the offer and sought a court order returning her to the campus job.<\/p>\n
Pittman found the reassignment did not amount to an adverse employment action under the law. He noted Alzubi\u2019s contract allowed the district to reassign her and that a reasonable employee would likely view the higher-paying role as a promotion. The judge also said the district was within its rights to prioritize community safety over an individual\u2019s preferred assignment.<\/p>\n
Alzubi\u2019s lawsuit, which alleges violations of her First Amendment and equal protection rights, remains pending. The district has filed a motion to dismiss the case. An internal investigation by Fort Worth ISD did not find that her posts violated district policy or state law.<\/p>\n
Western Hills High School is scheduled to begin the new school year next month. The district has named an interim principal for the campus.<\/p>\n
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