Florida Teacher Suspended for Calling Student 'Raghead Taliban' and 'Terrorista'

A Cypress Bay High French teacher has been given a 5 day suspension for calling a 14 year old Muslim student "Raghead Taliban" and "Terrorista" while he walked in to the class wearing a hoodie.

In addition to the 5 day suspension without pay, the teacher will now have to attend a diversity training program. The student's father Youssef Wardani is however not happy with the outcome and termed the suspension as a "5 day vacation."

Wardani feels the teacher, Maria Valdes should have been fired or suspended for a year without pay for passing those racist comments.

At the end of the meeting he added, "I promise you for the rest of my life, until my dying breath, I'm going to make sure no child goes through what my Deyab-Houssein had to go through."

An administrative complaint was filed by Superintendent Robert Runcie after he was informed of the comments made by Valdes. Runcie said, "I take a lot of exception to any statement, or suggestion that somehow this administration and school board did nothing or was ever lax in our response. To the contrary, this matter was taken very seriously and was addressed with an appropriate sense of urgency."

As per the complaint, when student Deyab-Houssein entered the classroom, Valdes is said to have stated, "Ah no! The Taliban is here." Valdes would also frequently call on Houssein by saying, "OK the Taliban, what is the answer?" and "Let's ask the Taliban."

When the teacher made these remarks, the other students in the class would laugh leaving Houssein confused. He learned that 'Taliban' was a terrorist organization only when he brought the issue up with his parents.