Camden’s embattled school board president met with boos and chants of ‘Shame! Shame! Shame!’ at school board meeting
The first meeting attended by Wasim Muhammad was interrupted by protesters who chanted and called for his removal.
Embattled Camden School Advisory Board President Wasim Muhammad returned Thursday to a raucous board meeting where he was met with a protest, boos and chants of ‘Shame! Shame! Shame!’ and a call for his removal.
It was Muhammad’s first school board meeting since the district reached a $2 million settlement with a former student who accused him of sexual assault in a civil case two months ago. He took a leave of absence pending the outcome of the case brought by Salema Robinson, who was his middle school student 30 years ago.
In its May 14 decision, a jury found that Muhammad, formerly known as Donnie Walker, had not sexually abused his former student, but “recklessly or intentionally committed extreme and outrageous conduct” upon Robinson.
Before the meeting at the board’s headquarters, a small group of protesters picketed outside the building, calling Muhammad a predator. Community activist Vida Neil, a frequent critic of Muhammad, shouted on a bullhorn.
Neil verbally sparred with a supporter of Muhammad, whom she called a pedophile, sitting across the room. “He’s my friend,” the supporter said.
Muhammad, 56, entered the packed meeting flanked by several of his 17 children. Several of his wives waited in a nearby overflow room. Several security officers were joined in the back of the room by Camden County Metro Police officers.
After greeting board members, Muhammad took his seat next to state Superintendent Katrina T. McCombs. He banged a gavel to call the board’s work session to order, but was immediately interrupted by Neil.
“He’s a sexual predator. He should not be sitting at the helm,” Neil shouted from the audience. “Shame on you for every little girl. Do you have a heart?”
As Muhammad hammered the gavel, Neil continued to shout. Police were told to remove Neil, but ignored the directive and supporters chimed in. Eventually, the board ordered a recess and the board members quickly left the room.
“What parent in their right mind would want him around their children?” asked Maria Montero, a mother of three. “It’s outrageous.”
Muhammad did not speak during the meeting, which resumed after an hour-long closed session. He has denied any wrongdoing.
During public comment, Natalie Rivera, a social worker in North Camden, called for Muhammad’s resignation, without further comment. The board took no action during the work session. Its monthly meeting will be held Tuesday at Camden High School.
Board Vice President N’Namdee Nelson said the board could have removed Muhammad after three unexcused absences, but decided to await the outcome of the legal matter. The board has not met since the split jury decision in May.
“This has been challenging times for everyone,” Nelson said.
McCombs, who has disclosed that she had experienced sexual assault as a child and found the Muhammad allegations “triggering,” reassured the audience that their concerns would be reviewed. She said the board is reviewing its sexual harassment policies, too.
“This is not the end of the conversation. Your voices matter,” McCombs said. “We will continue to do the work that needs to be done.”
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A jury rejected Robinson’s sexual assault and battery allegations, but she was awarded $1.6 million, which was increased to $2 million under a later settlement between her, Muhammad and the school district.
Gov. Phil Murphy has called for Muhammad to resign, citing the “appalling and heinous nature of the allegations.” Muhammad has served on the nine-member school advisory board since 2013 and has been president since 2020. Because the district is under a state takeover, the board serves in an advisory role only without any authority.
» READ MORE: Who is Wasim Muhammad, Camden’s school board president accused of sexually abusing a student?
A petition drive recently launched by Elton Custis, a former Camden school board member, contended that Muhammad’s “removal from the school board is necessary to maintain the integrity of our educational system and to ensure the safety and well-being of our students.”
In her lawsuit, Robinson alleged that Muhammad began having sex with her in 1994 when he was her social studies teacher. The abuse continued after she moved out of state after her freshman year at Camden High School. District employees, including a principal and a teacher, who knew about the abuse failed to stop it, according to the lawsuit.
The jury held Muhammad and the district liable for counts including “willful misconduct” and negligence in supervising Muhammad, and for permitting “a sexually hostile educational environment.” The verdict did not offer insight into its findings.
Robinson, now 45, filed the lawsuit in 2021 under a state law passed in 2019 that allows victims of child sexual abuse to sue their abusers up until they turn 55. She was initially identified in the case as “Jane Doe,” but decided to come forward after the verdict to encourage other victims to speak up.
» READ MORE: In his sex abuse trial, Wasim Muhammad testified that four of his six wives were 18 when he met them