A Polk County family says bullying may force them to pull their 14-year-old daughter out of school.
Haines City Police said it has launched an investigation into the bullying, and the FBI is also looking into the complaint.
Fourteen-year-old Zarah Habibulla says the bullying started last December when she began wearing a headscarf to school as part of her Muslim faith.
Zarah said she is now scared to go to school after students have taunted her saying, "terrorist, yo we got some terrorists here we gotta run," and "...I'm going to shoot you. I'm going to bomb you. You better watch out."
Hafeez Habibulla, Zarah's dad, said the family reported the bullying incidents to the school last December, but after Winter Break the bullying turned from words to physical abuse. Zarah said a student tried tripping her, and when she stumbled, he laughed at her.
"Every time something happens I have to keep reporting it to the principal. When is it going to stop? You know ,I just want her to be safe. I don't want her to be afraid anymore," he said.
The family is now being represented by the American Muslim Youth Leadership Council based in Kissimmee.
"We never thought it would get to a point that we would have to pursue criminal charges against someone," Farah said. "To be quite honest with you it is sad this has gotten that far."
Polk County Public Schools would not comment on any past or ongoing investigation into bullying at Ridge Community High School.
In a statement, the district said "We at Polk County Public Schools, continue to take a proactive role in addressing any issues to ensure the welfare of the student. The School Board remains committed to providing an educational environment that is secure and free from harassment or bullying. The welfare of all of our students is a top priority."
The American Muslim Youth Leadership Council says it plans to meet with district administrators next week. It will ask the district to implement special training for staff to help them mitigate bullying.
The Habibulla family says it is prepared to pull Zarah from classes at Ridge Community High School and home school her if the bullying does not stop.