Ex-Valley Stream North High School counselor Samia Tariq-Farooq says she was fired after objecting to directive that singled out ENL students
A former Valley Stream North High School counselor has filed a federal lawsuit alleging she was retaliated against, and ultimately fired, for pushing back on a directive that she says singled out students in the district's English as a New Language program.
Samia Tariq-Farooq, who was hired in September 2023, alleges district officials ordered her and other counselors to create "pre-prepared" forms granting exemptions to ENL students taking the June 2025 Regents exams due to "presumed fear of deportation."
If an ENL student — most of whom were of South Asian, Latin American and Haitian descent — failed an exam, the exemptions would be automatically processed, she alleges. Parents often signed off without being informed what they were consenting to or that students could retake the test or attend summer school programs, according to the lawsuit filed Tuesday in the Eastern District of New York.
"So nearly every ENL student at North who failed the Regents exam that year were reported by the District as having had a traumatic fear of deportation, whether they did or did not," the lawsuit states.
WHAT NEWSDAY FOUND
- A former Valley Stream North High School counselor has filed a federal lawsuit alleging she was retaliated against, and ultimately fired, for objecting to a directive that she says targeted ENL students and for raising concerns about an ENL class centered on the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
- Samia Tariq-Farooq, who was born in Pakistan and is Muslim, also said she was discriminated against.
- The district plans to contest the allegations.
Many of the students had visas, green cards, refugee status or were U.S. citizens, the suit alleges.
As a result of the exemptions, these students received an "E" on their transcript that the lawsuit claims hurt some students because it implied they were unable to pass an exam "they could have simply retaken."
"Colleges would see the exemption. Competitive programs would question it," the lawsuit alleges. "Families would sometimes call Ms. Tariq months later, after their children had graduated, to ask what the E on the transcript meant."
The suit alleges the district was flagged by the state for having the highest exemption rate in New York, leading district officials to amend how exemptions were granted. State officials did not respond to a request for comment.
Tariq-Farooq, who would have been eligible for tenure at the end of the 2026-27 school year, said administrators retaliated against her for refusing to follow the exemption order, which she believed to be "discriminatory, unlawful and ethically incompatible with her professional obligations,” and for filing an internal discrimination complaint in November 2025. In March, she was placed on "administrative reassignment to home with pay." Her employment was terminated in June, the suit states.
Wayne Loper, superintendent of the Valley Stream Central High School District, disputed the claims set forward in Tariq-Farooq's lawsuit.
"The well-being of our ENL students, dedicated ENL staff, and by extension our entire school community, is our top priority," Loper said in a statement. "We intend to vigorously defend our interests in this matter."
Discrimination claims
Tariq-Farooq's termination comes amid tensions with Valley Stream North High School's immigrant students, specifically those of South Asian descent.
The counselor, who is Pakistani and Muslim, said she raised concerns in late 2023 that an ENL class was focused on the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks for two years. The suit alleges Muslim and South Asian students started skipping the class out of "anxiety, frustration, and in some cases protest." In 2025, a Muslim student complained to the teacher about the curriculum but was told "they were going to keep covering it" because her uncle died in the attacks, the lawsuit states.
Tariq-Farooq was also subjected to discrimination during her time at the high school, the lawsuit alleges, and when she objected, she was retaliated against. For example, she alleged that after she corrected a supervisor for misidentifying her and her students as Middle Eastern, it was entered as a "complaint against her for rudeness," according to the suit.
Loper, speaking at a July 7 school board meeting that was livestreamed on YouTube, said he had met with members of several local Sikh and Muslim organizations to discuss their concerns, including regarding the Regents exemptions.
In March 2025, the state Education Department amended regulations to allow exemptions from diploma assessment requirements due to major life events, including illness, death and trauma related to deportation. A student, their parent, counselor, teacher or other school official can request an exemption, which must then be approved by a superintendent or school principal. A parent or a student over age 18 must consent to the exemption, according to the state.
At the July 7 meeting, Kelly Whitney-Rivera, district director of guidance and chief information officer, said the district established a committee to ensure exemptions are "implemented thoughtfully, fairly and consistently." She noted that the "E" designation on transcripts does not include the reason for the exemption and ensured "personal circumstances remain confidential."
The committee was established in June 2025.
In a phone interview with Newsday, Hamza Khan, 24, said his brother Awais, 17, was surprised to learn he had received an exemption on his June 2025 Regents exam in biology despite not requesting one. The reason given was fear of deportation.
Hamza Khan spoke for his brother, who is enrolled in ENL classes at Valley Stream North. He said his brother is a U.S. citizen.
Khan said that although an exemption was not requested, his father did sign a form saying his son would miss the exam due to a family emergency that required them to accompany their mother to Pakistan for medical care.
Awais said his brother is afraid the designation "will affect him and stay on his credential."
Tariq-Farooq has filed a discrimination charge with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, as well as a civil rights complaint with the state attorney general. A spokesperson for the attorney general's office confirmed receipt of the complaint but did not say whether an investigation had been launched.
In her suit, she is seeking unspecified compensatory and punitive damages, "reinstatement or front pay," reimbursement for attorneys' fees and "restoration of her tenure track or equivalent tenure designation."
Lorena Mongelli has been reporting for Newsday since 2021. Prior to that, she covered breaking news at the New York Post.
