Fort Bend ISD parents slam 6th-grade social studies lesson for offensive portrayal of Middle East

SUGARLAND, Texas (KTRK) -- A sixth-grade social studies lesson is being slammed for its offensive portrayal of the Middle East.

The presentation, which was shown to 6th graders at Fort Settlement Middle School in Fort Bend ISD, starts with an overview of the Middle East.

Then, there's a slide showing the Sep. 11, 2001 attacks, ISIS terrorists, and the Quran, the Muslim Holy Book.

"It makes me look like a bad person and this is what I do," one sixth-grader said.

We're hiding the sixth grader's identity because his parents don't want him targeted at school.

He was in class, embarrassed, when his teacher showed the presentation.

After multiple parents complained, Fort Bend ISD district officials removed the slide and said they completed a thorough investigation.

The teacher was not disciplined.

"When you say, 'we've removed the slide,' what about the harm that has been done to the formation of children's thoughts about this religion?" parent Nishaat Ismail asked. "What about the harm that has been done to my son and his Muslim friends?"

"The biggest takeaway that I want addressed is for my daughter to feel comfortable about her identity to celebrate it and not feel like it's something she has to defend," parent Mahvesh Siddiqui explained.

"Those pictures don't connect to me and yet you still put it in there," the student said.

For these parents, the presentation is a painful reminder of their younger years.

"When I chose to start wearing hijab after 9/11, my father's first instinct was, 'Daughter why did you do this?' because he was scared for my safety as a father," Ismail said. "It shouldn't be like that in 2024 where children are still being taught hurtful, biased rhetoric."

"I was in grad school when 9/11 happened and I went through a lot of Islamophobic events back then and I thought we were behind it, especially for my children's generation," Siddiqui said. "I didn't think it was something I would have to address again like this."

Fort Bend ISD is considered one of the most diverse districts in the country.

63% of students are Asian at Fort Settlement Middle School.

"We chose to start a family here for the fact that it is so multicultural and diverse and accepting of all faiths," Ismail said. "And the fact that it happened here, I think it really hurt."

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