GSU accused of anti-Muslim bias

The director of Georgia State University’s Middle East Institute resigned Tuesday and accused the college of failing to respond to anti-Muslim bias.

Dona Stewart said Wednesday the college failed to address complaints from a Muslim-American doctoral student and visiting faculty member who said she was harassed by a senior faculty member at Georgia State last August.

The student, Slma Shelbayah, was repeatedly asked by a GSU professor whether she was carrying any bombs under her hijab, an Islamic headscarf, Stewart said. After that, Shelbayah complained she was stripped of her privileges, such as no longer being allowed to lead a previously approved student-abroad program, Stewart said.

Stewart said she also was subjected to retaliatory actions after refusing to fire Shelbayah.

Stewart, who remains a professor at Georgia State, and Shelbayah have filed complaints with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, said their attorney, James Radford.

Georgia State officials are fully cooperating with the EEOC, spokeswoman Andrea Jones said.

“The university takes very seriously any claims of discrimination,” she said. “In no way was retaliation taken against Professor Stewart nor the student as a result of the complaint.”

Jones said Shelbayah’s complaint was addressed and action was taken. Jones said federal privacy guidelines prevent the college from providing additional details.