CMPD sends hate crime allegations to FBI in assault on CMS student wearing hijab
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department is asking the FBI to investigate whether the reported March 7 assault of a 15-year-old Ardrey Kell High School student for wearing a hijab by another student in a math class was a hate crime.
The student, who has not been named, suffered multiple broken bones in her face and jaw after her family alleges she was punched repeatedly in class and called slurs by a football player after days of what her family called anti-Muslim bullying.
The department said it submitted the school resource officer’s incident report to the FBI for further investigation.
When asked for a copy of that incident report on Wednesday, CMPD’s police records division said a corresponding report did not exist. On Thursday, the department acknowledged its existence in a social media post.
The girl’s family said at a press conference Wednesday that they want the incident investigated as a hate crime, and that they are “very likely” to sue Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools over the handling of the assault.
The family alleged that by not calling an ambulance promptly after the assault, and instead requesting the student’s mother take her to the hospital, CMS did not handle the situation properly. They also alleged the district advised them not to go to the media about the assault.
However, CMS Chief Operations Officer Tim Ivey said at a separate press conference on Wednesday that the district followed the proper protocols, and denied that anyone with the school district told the girl’s family not to speak to the media.
“Ardrey Kell High School followed all policies and procedures as outlined in the board policy manual and student code of conduct,” Ivey said Wednesday. The school SRO “was present at the scene and immediately initiated the appropriate investigative processes.”
Both the female student and the football player, also 15, were suspended for 10 days. The boy alleged the female student hit him first, and CMS referred to the incident as a “fight,” her family said.
CMS did not comment on the reason for the suspension, citing privacy laws. The girl’s family said she will not be returning to Ardrey Kell and they will appeal her suspension.
This story was originally published March 13, 2025 at 1:27 PM.
