NEW YORK – The family of a 12-year-old Muslim middle school
student has filed a $25 million federal lawsuit against the East Islip school
district, claiming the seventh-grader’s civil rights were violated when school
officials forced him to sign a false confession saying he was a terrorist.

The family of Nashwan Uppal, filed the suit Monday claiming that
school officials forced him to confess that he was affiliated to terrorists and
crimes he did not commit.

According to the suit, Nashwan was bullied and harassed on Jan.
6 in the middle school cafeteria by older students who called him a terrorist
and asked him when he was going to blow up the school. 

The suit said that cafeteria workers failed to notice the
bullying and, after being repeatedly harassed, Nashwan said he was a terrorist
and “was going to blow up the school fence.” The boy claimed he made such
remarks to make the bullies back off of him.

The next day, Jan. 7, while he was in gym class, Nashwan was
called to the principal’s office. The suit claims that the school
administration interrogated Nashwan, including asking him if he was “part of
ISIS.”

School officials searched his belongings and his locker and did
not call his parents, the court papers said. Stanton ordered him to write a confession,
saying that “he was part of ISIS and knew how to make bombs.” 

Police also searched the family’s home and Nashwan’s computer
but found nothing, according to the suit.

Court papers said the Nashwan and his parents have “suffered
severe and extreme emotional distress, including, but not limited to
nightmares, sleeplessness, crying, fear, humiliation and stress.” 

The suit claims that the school district violated Nashwan’s
civil rights, discriminating against him based on his race, ethnicity, religion
and national origin. 

It says he was also discriminated against due to his
learning disability. He was subject to unlawful search and seizure, and
deprived of his rights against self-incrimination, due process and equal
protection under the law.