The Council on American-Islamic Relations and its Texas chapter have filed a federal lawsuit against Fort Worth ISD on behalf of Shayma Alzubi, the former incoming principal at Western Hills High School, who was reassigned after scrutiny of past social media posts.
The complaint, filed June 18 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, Fort Worth Division, brings claims under the First Amendment’s Free Speech Clause and the Fourteenth Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause. It seeks to return Alzubi to the Western Hills principal role for the 2026-2027 school year, along with damages, attorneys’ fees, and litigation costs.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, Fort Worth ISD reassigned Alzubi pending an investigation after DX reported on social media posts tied to her Facebook account and requested comment from the district.
“Today, May 26, Fort Worth ISD was made aware of multiple social media posts from the past by a finalist for a principal position in the district,” Fort Worth ISD Communications previously told The Dallas Express.
“After review, it was determined that the posts may not align with the district’s social media policy and expectations for staff. Therefore, the candidate will be reassigned pending the outcome of an investigation. As such, the district will not comment further on an open investigation.”
Lawsuit Claims First Amendment Violation
CAIR characterized Alzubi’s reassignment as an “anti-Muslim witch hunt” and argued the district punished her for years-old posts tied to her religious beliefs, Palestinian heritage, and political views.
“This is the clearest violation of the First Amendment our organization has seen all year,” CAIR attorney Gadeir Abbas said in the release. “We call on the school district to realize the unlawful path it’s walking down, change course, and return our client to her school.”
CAIR-DFW Executive Director Mustafaa Carroll also criticized the district.
“If district officials can do this to Shayma, then they can do this to anyone,” Carroll said. “We stand ready to defend Shayma’s rights and fight for her return to school.”
The lawsuit alleges Alzubi has worked for Fort Worth ISD since 2013 at Carter Riverside High School, Arlington Heights High School, and Southwest High School, serving as a chemistry teacher, Freshman Success Coach, and assistant principal. It also alleges she had been promoted to principal of Western Hills High School for the 2026-2027 school year before the district reassigned her.
Posts At Center Of Dispute
The complaint says Fort Worth ISD questioned Alzubi about several social media posts, including a Palestine flag overlay, a post defining Sharia law, a Black Lives Matter image, a DACA-related post, and a post supporting Fort Worth ISD mask policies.
The lawsuit alleges the posts came from Alzubi’s personal accounts, personal devices, and personal time, not during business hours or as part of her official duties.
The complaint also alleges that other Fort Worth ISD employees posted about issues such as Black Lives Matter, DACA, and COVID-19 without similar consequences.
Alzubi’s lawyers argue her reassignment amounted to retaliation for protected speech and unequal treatment based on religion and national origin. The lawsuit presents Alzubi’s allegations, and Fort Worth ISD has not filed a public response in the case, according to the docket reviewed by The Dallas Express.
Abbott Previously Targeted CAIR
The lawsuit comes months after Gov. Greg Abbott designated CAIR and the Muslim Brotherhood as foreign terrorist organizations and transnational criminal organizations under Texas state policy.
Abbott’s office said the designation prohibited the groups from purchasing or acquiring land in Texas and authorized the Texas attorney general to sue to shut them down.
“Today, I designated the Muslim Brotherhood and Council on American-Islamic Relations as foreign terrorist organizations and transnational criminal organizations,” Abbott said when announcing the proclamation. “This bans them from buying or acquiring land in Texas and authorizes the Attorney General to sue to shut them down.”
CAIR was also named as an unindicted co-conspirator or joint venturer in the federal Holy Land Foundation terrorism-financing case in Dallas. The case ended with the Holy Land Foundation and five of its leaders convicted of providing material support to Hamas, according to the Justice Department. CAIR has denied terror-related allegations against the organization.
CAIR disputed Abbott’s designation at the time, calling it defamatory and saying it had “no basis in law or fact,” as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
The Dallas Express reached out to Fort Worth ISD for comment on the lawsuit but did not receive a response by the time of publication.
