Camden Demands Resignation of School Board President After $1.6M Verdict
Article and Photos by Charles Curtis III
On Tuesday, August 27th, Camden, NJ residents answered a call to action. Organized by a coalition of community leaders and organizations, residents gathered at Camden High with one goal in mind: demanding that Wasim Muhammad resign immediately from his position as Camden City’s school board president after a jury found him and the school district liable for sexual misconduct involving a former student.
Public outrage erupted following the jury’s decision that the Camden School District must pay $1.6 million to the victim, Salema Robinson, for “willful misconduct, negligence, and permitting a sexually hostile environment,” according to TAPinto Camden. Robinson’s civil lawsuit accused Muhammad of grooming and sexual assault dating back to 1991 when she was a student at Hatch Middle School, where Muhammad worked. Although the jury found Muhammad liable for sexual misconduct, he was not found guilty of sexual assault.
After three months of canceled school board meetings, the board reconvened in August to discuss plans for the upcoming school year. An hour before the meeting, community members held a press conference, rallying the community to pressure Muhammad to step down as school board president. Many participants wore shirts bearing the slogan, “Fed Up! Fired Up!”
Community Applies Pressure
Ronsha Dickerson, a rally organizer and community activist, addressed the crowd. “We’re standing on business for our children! We will leave our children with more than just problems to inherit; they will be left with demands, integrity, and a village to inherit!” she said.
Community members expressed their frustration. “All we want is the right thing to be done and our kids to be protected. And I think what is making people angry is that it seems like Wasim is being protected more than the 7,000-plus children in the Camden City school district,” said Camden resident Endrix Afanador. He added, “If we really want to move forward as a school district and community, some form of accountability and healing needs to take place, but that cannot happen until Wasim is off of the school board!”
The board meeting that followed was tense from the start, devolving into a shouting match as community members voiced their frustrations. Thirty-three people signed up to speak during the public portion of the meeting, though not everyone was allowed to do so.
“It is utterly disgraceful that you know this man’s record and make him the board president!” said Keith Errol Benson.
Over a hundred people attended, including several members of Muhammad’s family, who entered the room in a single file line. Some of his family members spoke in his defense during the public comments, but their voices were largely drowned out by boos from the crowd.
One of the most compelling moments came from Robinson herself, whose statement was read by her attorney, Jeffrey Fritz. Holding up a large picture of Robinson as an 8th grader, Fritz shared details from the trial before reading her statement aloud. “I wanted to be in the meeting today, but I have to make the tough decision to prioritize my mental health. Every day is an intentional effort for me to function as a mother, wife, and educator,” Robinson’s statement read. ”I am plagued with memories and nightmares of being sodomized by Mr. Muhammad. Memories of him luring me into the bathroom of a porn theater with someone waiting there to rape me while he watched.” Fritz’s reading of the statement left the audience appalled, with several members excusing themselves due to the graphic nature of the testimony.
The school board did not address the accusations or the calls for Muhammad’s resignation during Tuesday’s meeting. Amid the chaos, board members left the stage, and it was later announced that the meeting could not continue due to a loss of quorum. This marked the fourth school board meeting where no business was conducted.
“I knew that because of his arrogance in his responses on social media that nothing would be done, but that the people would be speaking up,” said Amirah X Kane, a mother, Muslim, and informed citizen.
It is important to note that while the school board can vote to remove Muhammad from his position as president, they cannot remove him from the board entirely. So far, no school board member has openly opposed his resignation. According to 6ABC, Gov. Phil Murphy asked Muhammad to resign in January in the face of the allegations. Despite this, Muhammad’s attorney, Troy Archie, says his client has no plans to resign from the Camden school board.
Activists have vowed to continue protesting at future meetings.
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Date Posted :
August 30, 2024