Former Mizzou Graduate Assistant Accused of Assaulting Teenager Over Hijab
A former University of Missouri graduate teaching assistant is accused of assaulting a female relative on Tuesday for not wearing a hijab.
The Columbia Daily Tribune reports 53-year-old Youssif Z. Omar grabbed a teenage family member by her hair and yanked her out of school because she was not wearing the traditional headscarf deemed appropriate for Muslim women.
Omar allegedly also slapped the young girl during the incident.
According to an email from Officer Latisha Stroer, Columbia police responded to a child abuse call at Hickman High School on Tuesday afternoon.
Authorities say Omar was at the school when he saw the 14 year old without a hijab. He quickly grew angry, grabbing the girl roughly by her hair and pulling her down a flight of stairs.
Police arrested Omar on suspicion of child abuse on Wednesday. He was later released from Boone County Jail on $4,500 bond.
Initially, reports stated that Omar was a current assistant at the University of Missouri, colloquially referred to as "Mizzou." However, the school's Twitter account quickly clarified that Omar was no longer employed at the institution.
. @tinastullracing Mr. Omar is not a Mizzou professor. Former graduate student with assistantship that ended in July.
— Mizzou (@Mizzou) November 30, 2015
According to The Blaze, Omar's Facebook profile confirmed that he is married and lives in Columbia, Missouri. He is originally from Benghazi, Libya. The Blaze also reports that a now-disabled profile video shows Omar giving a presentation in Hawaii, in which he states he is an "assistant professor" at Mizzou and teaches foreign languages.
According to Omar's LinkedIn profile, he attended the University of Missouri as a student from 2008-2013. He received a Ph.D in English Education, Linguistics and Translation Studies. He allegedly speaks four languages: Arabic, Libyan, Italian and English.
Mizzou has yet to comment further on the incident. The school has been the source of national attention due to the recent protests over the administration's lackadaisical response to concerns of racism on the campus. The demonstrations eventually led to the resignation of University of Missouri System President Tim Wolfe.
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