The Woodbridge School Board, however, says the incident was investigated and a perpetrator could not be found.
Saira Ali posted this photo to Facebook, saying a bully took it of her at lunch in Colonia High School and posted it to Snapchat last spring. WOODBRIDGE - A Muslim student who graduated from Colonia High School last spring claims the Woodbridge School Board declined to take action against a fellow student who posted a photo of her on social media with the word "Isis."
The school board, however, says the incident was investigated and a perpetrator could not be found.
"After 4 months of 'investigation,' the Woodbridge Township School District has come to the conclusion that when I was unknowingly taken a picture of at lunch, in school, by another student, and posted on Snapchat as 'ISIS,' I was not 'harassed, intimidated, or bullied.' Saira Ali wrote in a Facebook post on Sunday.
"Apparently, according to the Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights Act, it's entirely acceptable to take pictures of strangers and post them on social media with derogatory, inaccurate, slurs," she wrote.
Isis stands for "Islamic State in Iraq and Syria" and is the terrorist group known for the kidnappings and murders of journalists and aid workers.
I'm disgusted. Violated. pic.twitter.com/e5w2JChBG1
-- Saira Ali (@DrSairaAli) June 4, 2015
After the incident last spring, Ali posted the image on Facebook and encouraged her friends to share it, hoping the post would go viral.
"You might think there's no hate crime where you live and before ya'know it some ignorant kid from your school makes a video of you at lunch, closes up on your face, calls you ISIS, & then sets it as his Snapchat story for everyone to see as if he's not insulting billions of people," Ali wrote in a Facebook post last spring. "Please excuse me while I teach this kid a lesson."
She also complained to the Woodbridge Board of Education.
After four months of investigation, which also involved the Woodbridge Police Department, officials sent the Ali family a letter stating the district found no evidence supporting a claim of harassment, intimidation or bullying.
"Although the school district is not permitted to discuss individual student matters, I can tell you the Woodbridge Board of Education takes subject matters like this very seriously," school board attorney Jonathan Busch said Tuesday.
A source close to the school board said the matter was investigated extensively but they were unable to identify the person who posted the photo to Snapchat.
Ali could not be reached for comment Tuesday morning.
Since posting her story online, Ali has been gaining support across social media.
"This girl lives in the town next to me. Spread this," wrote a Twitter user on Monday. The tweet was then retweeted nearly 17,000 times.
This girl lives in the town next to me. Spread this. pic.twitter.com/8eM0xzYeK3
-- rebecca (@rebeccugggh) October 26, 2015
Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook.