A substitute teacher in Texas has reported a six-year-old Muslim student to the police for terrorism and sexual harassment - even though he has Down's Syndrome and cannot speak.
According to The Independent, the unnamed teacher alleged Mohammad Suleiman was sexually harassing her and repeating the words "Allah" and "boom" in class.
His parents have refuted the claims, saying that their son "doesn’t speak at all" and has "the mental capacity of a one-year-old."
The teacher at C. J. Harris Elementary School in Pearland, around 32 kilometers south of Houston, contacted the police fearing the boy might be linked to terrorism.
Her claims have prompted investigations into the Suleiman family by the police as well as Child Protection Services.
Speaking to Fox26 news channel, the boy's father, Maher Suleiman, said the allegations cannot be true since Mohammad has "intellectual difficulties" and never talks.
The father went on to describe the incident as "100 percent discrimination," adding that the investigations have put his family through substantial distress.
"The last three or four weeks have been the hardest of my life," he said. "My wife and kids were crying a few days ago and I told them everything is fine."
Police found no need for further action
The Pearland Police Department has reportedly concluded its investigation after finding no reason to worry.
However, the Child Protection Services' investigation is still underway.
"In my opinion, based on everything I heard from the police department and speaking with the administration from the school, that this was a story piece milled together by a substitute teacher," community activist Quanell X told Fox26.
Not the only incident of Islamophobia in the past week
In another incident that also caused an online stir last week, a young Muslim woman in London was reportedly refused entry to McDonald's for wearing the hijab.
In a video of the incident, the woman can be heard asking a guard why she is not allowed to join the queue.
"It’s just a matter of taking it off," he says, clearly referring to her hijab.
In response, the young woman says, "It's not just a matter of taking it off. I wear this for religious reasons and I’m not ashamed of it."
The Independent reports that the fast-food chain has since apologized and said the security guard in question had been suspended.