A community college student in Arizona is suing over what the student says is a biased lesson about Islam offered by an instructor.
The student, Mohamed Sabra, a Muslim attending Maricopa County Community College in Scottsdale, enrolled in a political science course that included a unit on terrorism. He contends that the professor, Nicholas Damask, interjected his personal biases into the course and implied that most Muslims are sympathetic toward terrorism. Sabra claims he was required to take a quiz based on Damask’s views.
Although officials at the community college initially called the professor’s questions “inappropriate” and indicated they would take action against him, they later reversed course and said Damask has a right under academic freedom to decide how to structure the course.
The lawsuit, Sabra v. Maricopa County Community College District, is pending in federal court. Sabra is being represented by the Arizona branch of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.