Hate crime in PS hijab grab

Fired substitute teach busted

A SUBSTITUTE teacher accused of yanking the hijab off the head of a Bronx second-grader has been hit with hate crime charges, police said.

Oghenetega Edah, 31, who was fired by the city Education Department after the May 2 incident, surrendered to cops Wednesday, police said.

Edah allegedly ordered 8-year-old Safa Alzockary to remove her hijab after she was misbehaving in class at Public School 76 (photo) in Allerton.

When Safa refused, Edah ripped the religious covering from her head, pulling it across her face and causing irritation to her right eye, police said.

The girl went to Jacobi Medical Center, where a doctor said she suffered no permanent damage to her eye.

Edah, who started working in city schools in January, had a clean disciplinary record prior to the incident, officials said.

The Education Department sacked him after learning of the girl’s accusations.

“This alleged behavior is unacceptable, and he was immediately removed from the school and terminated effective May 3,” said Education Department spokeswoman Toya Holness. Edah is charged with aggravated harassment as a hate crime and endangering the welfare of a child, cops said.

He was awaiting arraignment in Bronx Criminal Court late Wednesday.