Odessa, Del. — The Appoquinimink School District community was joined by faith organizations, elected officials, and advocacy groups as they led calls for corrective action after Appoquinimink board member Elena Brenner made Islamophobic comments on social media.

Screenshots reviewed by The Delaware Call from more than one Facebook group showed Brenner sharing a video in October 2026 criticising the Islamic faith, captioning it “There is not a single Muslim-majority country that I would choose to live in. Why would I want that ideology here?”

After the post circulated, Muslim families with students attending the Appoquinimink School District authored a petition “expressing deep concern and disappointment” over the comment. The petition asks the superintendent and members of the Appoquinimink Board of Education to hold Brenner accountable. The families are asking for a formal apology and for clarifications to be made about acceptable standards and expectations of school board members. As of the time this story was published, the petition exceeded 300 signatures.

Upon becoming aware of the statement, district parents were repulsed.

Zuneera Masood, a Muslim parent of an Appoquinimink student, said she was “deeply disturbed” by the comment. According to Masood, Brenner’s post shows “Islamophobia continues to permeate our community and education system in Delaware.”

Another district parent, Sarah Culler, found Brenner’s comments “troubling” and questioned whether Brenner is fit to serve. “One of Appoquinimink’s core values calls for mutual respect for everyone, and our school board members should model the same values we expect our children to uphold. How can families trust her to act in their children’s best interests when she publicly demeans their community?”

When contacted for comment regarding a potential response, Brenner directed the Call to contact the district Superintendent. Appoquinimink Superintendent Burrows did not respond to inquiry from the Delaware Call, but signed a statement along with Board President Graham provided to WDEL. Brenner did not sign that response.

In a joint statement with the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) – Philadelphia, the Executive Committee of the Islamic Society of Delaware offered support to their community members affected by the comments. “Elected school district officials have a responsibility to uphold the values of respect, inclusion, and safety for every student and family, regardless of faith or background. These values are fundamental to our American identity and are as American as apple pie.”

In the statement, Ahmet Teleliogoku, Executive Director of CAIR-Philadelphia, called for “constructive and concrete” steps to acknowledge and remedy the harm caused by Brenner’s post. “Muslim families are an integral part of the Appoquinimink community. Their children contribute through student leadership, community service, and everyday participation in school life. They deserve the same dignity, respect, and support as every other student.”

The requests garnered support from outside of Muslim communities in Delaware as well.

Red Clay School Board member Susan Sander agreed with the petitioners. “This is not a statement that a board member who is advocating for public school education should be making,” she said to the Call. Sander explained that school boards were supposed to be a “collective decision making body” and members should not be expressing political opinion or religious bias in their positions.

The Appoquinimink Education Association (AEA) and Middletown-Odessa-Townsend (MOT) Branch of the NAACP also released statements supporting the requests made in the community petition.

This was not the first time Board member Brenner made controversial posts. The AEA withdrew their support of Brenner earlier in 2026 after she made a post deadnaming Representative Sarah McBride. Deadnaming is using a transgender person’s previous name to disparage them and is considered an insult. AEA President Steven Byers said in an email that the union “cannot support any candidate who makes transphobic statements” and was taking a “hard stand against bigotry and discrimination” by rescinding their endorsement.

CAIR-Philadelphia “welcomed” the Appoquinimink School Board’s response and offered resources and guidance to the Appoquinimink School Board as next steps are decided.

The Appoquinimink School Board will convene their next meeting on October 20 at 7pm at the Marion E. Proffitt Training Center in Odessa.