Muslim 12-Year-Old Was Forced by School to Sign False ISIS Confession, Lawsuit Claims

EAST ISLIP, NY — The family of a 12-year-old Muslim boy has filed a $25 million lawsuit against the East Islip School District after an assistant principal allegedly forced the boy to sign a false confession stating that he was part of the terrorist organization ISIS.

The parents of Islip Terrace resident Nashwan Uppal, a Pakistani special needs student at East Islip Middle School, filed the lawsuit on Monday in U.S. Eastern District Court in Central Islip.

The lawsuit claims that in January, Uppal was bullied by a group of students who called him a "terrorist" and asked him what he was going to "blow up next" while at the cafeteria of the middle school.

Eventually, Uppal told the students that he was a terrorist and was going to blow up the fence, according to the lawsuit.

However, because of his learning disability, he thought the word "terrorist" meant "tourist," the lawsuit states.

The next day, Uppal was taken to the office of assistant principal Jason Stanton, who interrogated him along with principal Mark Bernard, the lawsuit claims.

Uppal was asked repeatedly if he was a terrorist, if he made bombs, if he knew who "Osama" was, and if he was part of ISIS, according to the lawsuit.

Afterwards, Uppal's backpack and locker were searched, and Stanton allegedly demanded that he write a confession stating that he was part of ISIS, knew how to make bombs and was going to blow up the school, the lawsuit says.

Uppal was then allegedly questioned by police while his mother, Nubaisha Amar, waited outside the school.

The lawsuit claims that Uppal suffered from "severe and extreme emotional distress" including "nightmares, sleeplessness, crying, fear, humiliation and stress" as a result of the incident.

The East Islip School District said it could not comment on pending litigation.

In January, East Islip Superintendent John Dolan reportedly denied the allegations and said a fair and appropriate disciplinary process was underway at the time, PIX 11 reported.

Photo: Google Maps