The Missouri chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations, Illinois Education Association, Equality Illinois, Illinois Federation of Teachers and the Belleville Mosque and Islamic Education Center joined parents in demanding Springer’s resignation.
“People like Mr. Springer want our Muslim students to be invisible and be stressed all the time and not be proud of who they are,” said Almofleh, a program aide at Delores Moye Elementary School who has a child and two grandchildren in the district and was among several people who spoke during 90 minutes of comments about Springer.
Almofleh said she invited Springer to the mosque but he did not respond. She read a section from the Quran about God telling mankind that people were created in different but equal groups to know and love one another.
“There’s no way in hell I’m going to resign from this board,” he told the crowd, some of whom he mentioned by name and accused of bullying and harassing him. He said they “intimidated” the other school board members but that he would not be moved.