NJ teacher says she was let go for being a Muslim

Was the contract of a Central Jersey high school history teacher not renewed because she is a Muslim?

Sireen Hashem alleges that's why her contract with Hunterdon Central Regional High School was not renewed in a lawsuit demanding her job back and back pay, according to MyCentralJersey.com.

According to the lawsuit, Superintendent Christina Steffner told Hashem she "caused trouble because she was Palestinian," the report says. Hashem's suit also reportedly claims that her immediate supervisor questioned the way she taught, told her she was not sticking to the curriculum and accused Hashem of not treating Jewish students the same as others.

Hashem says in the lawsuit she was questioned about why she showed a video about Pakistani Nobel Prize winner Malala Yusufazi and used a book about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict called "The Lemon Tree" in class, the report says. Parents and a rabbi also wanted her to be dismissed, the suit reportedly says.

Steffner told MyCentralJersey.com Hashem's statements about her are "factually wrong, and may even be defamatory."