The ASU at Crestwood High School.

DEARBORN HEIGHTS — Tensions are growing between a group of students affiliated with the Arab Student Union (ASU) at Crestwood High School and its administration, as the school year draws to a close.

ASU was officially introduced at Crestwood just a few weeks ago, following months of delays from the Crestwood School Board and the high school’s administrators. 

They had initially delayed the launch of the group because of a moratorium passed more than 10 years ago that aimed to halt any new student organizations from being started, due to budgeting issues.

After a lengthy process between the school board and local attorneys who were persistent with the district, the ASU was finally approved after a Crestwood teacher agreed to sponsor it. 

However, it appears the organization is already off to a rocky start. 

Last week, members of the ASU plastered flyers all over the school to promote their first meeting, violating a rule that limits one flyer per organization on the school’s bulletin boards. ASU flyers were also inserted into every locker during after school hours. 

The following morning, teachers and students were agitated that the group had disregarded the school’s rules and began tearing the flyers down. 

On Friday, May 27, Crestwood High School Principal John Tafelski prohibited ASU President Mohamed Hojaj, a senior, from entering the school as a punishment for violating the rules.

Seniors had already finished their school year; Hojaj was told not to return until graduation day. 

In a stand of solidarity with Hojaj, ASU members held their first meeting outside of the school. A video uploaded to Facebook shows dozens of students sitting outside of the high school as Hojaj declared the administration was targeting the group because they were “Arab.”

Hojaj told The AANews that he wasn’t informed of any rules regarding how to market a student organization and was only told not to place flyers on the walls. He called the excessive plastering of ASU flyers throughout the school as a “unique” way to market the group to other students.

“I was only trying to think of effective ways to advertise our group,” he said. “[Principal Tafelski] could’ve said what we did was wrong and just given us a warning. Many people feel he did this because he’s unsympathetic towards Arabs. He’s even tried to persuade students to drop out of the ASU.” 

Local attorney Tarek Baydoun, who represented the group when it was trying to get approval at the school board meetings, said he sat down with Tafelski to try to ease tensions with the ASU. However, they did not come to a resolution.

Baydoun questioned whether there was prejudice in Tafelski’s decision to ban Hojaj from the school in a Facebook post. 

“These Arab students are being treated differently because the club is promoting Arabism and heritage,” Baydoun said. “And that is not politically convenient for the powers currently in charge at Crestwood. The denial and consequent degradation of an individual’s national and genealogical heritage is perhaps the worst form of racism. Unfortunately, there does not appear to be a ‘nice’ way to change the political equation at Crestwood at this time.”

However, it appears not all of the Arab students share the same sentiments. After the ASU walkout caused a splash on social media, Crestwood student Nour Ali, a junior, came to Tafelski’s defense. 

Crestwood Principal John Tafelski.

“Mr. Tafelski has sat down with Arab parents, with a translator if need be, to encourage them to send off their children to Ivy [League] schools rather than limiting them to colleges nearby,” Ali said on Facebook. “Tafelski has fought for us to have a wider variety of AP and honors classes. He has fought for us to be welcomed, all the while receiving his PhD and raising his daughter with his Iranian wife.”

Ali told The AANews that she was initially involved in the ASU a few months ago, while students were trying to get the club approved. However, she noted that she no longer affiliates with it because she feels it is “misguided.” 

She said she’s been subjected to criticism from ASU members for not standing with them. She noted that many Arab students who are not affiliated with the ASU are upset that the group is trying to pull the race card when it is not warranted. 

“I had a lot of students message me who say they support what I say, but they won’t openly admit it because they are worried about being attacked,” Ali said. “There are more people supporting my perspective than there are people who are saying untrue things about our principal.”

An outpouring of support for Tafelski was evident on Facebook within the days that followed. A group called “Standing with Tafelski” has attracted close to 700 members, many of whom are parents who have strongly opposed the ASU’s positioning.

“As a proud American-Arab, I am so extremely embarrassed by the acts and behaviors of members of this community,” said Halla Jomaa, a local parent. “They are turning it into a situation of the ‘Arab kid’ versus the ‘White principal’… Please. Get off your high horses, people and have some respect for rules and administration.”

Hojaj said he understands why many students and parents have chosen to support Tafelski, but added they aren’t fully aware of what transpires behind closed doors.

“A lot of well educated, well respected people in our community have seen what’s been done,” Hojaj said. “Many people admire Tafelski for personal reasons. He has done a lot of good things for the school. But there are things that happen behind the scenes that lead some to believe the district isn’t friendly, progressive or open minded.”

Hojaj said the intention of introducing the ASU at the high school was to combat the misconceptions that many non-Arab students have about Islam and the Arab culture. 

But now he’s calling for the student body to stand in solidarity so that the club has an opportunity to prosper in the coming years.

“The ASU is trying to separate itself from this incident and further our relationship with the administration and school board, so we can carry on the actual objection and goals of the group,” Hojaj said.

“We have a lot planned for the ASU and we aren’t letting this hold us back. Instead of being part of the problem, be a part of the solution. Reach out to ASU and let’s try to solve this issue. Stand united with the Arabs. ”