Muslim teacher claims she was sacked after objecting to 9/11 footage being shown to class of 11-year-olds
A MUSLIM teacher is taking legal action against the school she claims sacked her for complaining about showing a video of the 9/11 horrors to children.
Suriyah Bi lost her job at Birmingham's Heartlands Academy after just a week – and is now pursuing claims for unfair dismissal and religious discrimination.
Suriyah, from Yardley , made national headlines last September after complaining she was sacked for objecting to a class of 11-year-olds being shown the footage.
The organisation says it will oppose Suriyah's claims, and says the 24-year-old simply no longer wanted to work at the school.
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The video was not mentioned in detail during the brief preliminary hearing which dealt with technical and legal matters.
But outside the hearing, Suriyah said: "It was shown to some 30 children during class. I understand the video was shown without the permission of the authorities.
"It raised questions about what safeguards there are in schools to protect children.
"These were children aged 11, of whom many knew little, or nothing, about the 9/11 horror.
"They were subjected to graphic scenes and some were shocked and upset. The video not only showed the plane crashing into the Twin Towers but also showed people committing suicide by jumping to their deaths from the tower blocks.
"Such young children should not been shown things like that because it is well-known that it can play on their minds and even induce them to kill themselves.
"I was in the classroom when the video was shown and I quickly objected. Later, I was told to leave the school.
"There was an investigation into the matter but I was dismissed for making a whistle blowing complaint."
Suriyah said she believed no action was taken against the teacher who screened the video, but some people regarded the showing as "misguided".
The class had been studying a poem about a victim of the 9/11 terrorist attack. The poem is part of the AQA GCSE syllabus.
E-Act told the tribunal judge Ron Broughton that the teacher no longer wanted to work for them.
They complained there had been no need for the preliminary hearing and were considering making a claim for costs against Suriyah for causing delays.
Mr Broughton said she could go ahead with her legal claims at a full hearing later this year and he would not consider a claim for costs at this stage.
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