An East Brunswick High School student has been arrested after a bias attack on a Muslim student inside the school, authorities said.

Police said the female student was charged with simple assault, harassment, cyber harassment and disorderly conduct following the attack, during which students say the victim’s hijab was ripped from her head.

In a video on Twitter that purports to show the attack, a student appears to be punching a girl on the floor while a staff member pulls them apart.

Students allege that the victim of the attack was suspended, but should not have been because she was defending herself, and they’ve created a petition that calls on the East Brunswick school district to change a “No Tolerance Rule” that “does not take into account the circumstances of an altercation" when dishing out punishment.

East Brunswick Mayor Brad J. Cohen acknowledged that while it is the Board of Education policy to punish both parties whenever there is fighting at school, but said “the perpetrator was given a far worse punishment.”

One student, who asked not to share her name, said the beating happened because the student sat in the wrong seat.

The video has been viewed more than 36,000 times on Twitter, and tweets by some students attacked the school for not taking the incident seriously.

East Brunswick high school, a school where vaping is taken more seriously than hate crimes 🤩🤩 — princess (@zoeojes) April 11, 2019

East Brunswick High School did not respond to several requests for comment, but the school district distributed a letter addressing the assault.

“The district does not tolerate any incidents of bias, discrimination, harassment, intimidation or bullying and takes swift action if such an event occurs,” the letter states. “I want to assure the East Brunswick Community that we have been, and will continue to be, deeply committed to promoting and maintaining a safe environment for all of our students and staff.”

Cohen, the mayor, noted the teen charged also posted an inflammatory statement on Snapchat, which is making rounds on social media. The photo was reported to local police, who determined it rose to the level of a bias incident, but not a hate crime.

“It truly saddens me that we are even having this discussion, especially given the circumstances that occurred in New Zealand such a short time ago. Bias, in any form, is unacceptable in this community and it is simply NOT who we are or what we stand for,” he said in a statement. “I am heartened that all the comments I have heard or read regarding this incident were met with outrage.”

Cohen said an open forum will be held in the next few days to discuss the issue. The incident is also expected to be discussed at Thursday night’s Board of Education meeting.

Anyone with information may contact Detective Brian Adams of the East Brunswick Police Department at (732) 390-6900, or Detective Tammy Colonna of the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office at (732) 745-3145.

Sophie Nieto-Munoz may be reached at snietomunoz@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her at @snietomunoz. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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