A number of Cobb County teachers recently received an email from Luma Mufleh, founder of the nonprofit group Fugees Family, Inc. in their official school email.
The message warned of supposed immigration enforcement actions and urged teachers to spread information to families.
The email has raised concerns because it implicitly encourages behavior that could put educators in violation of FERPA, the federal student privacy law.
The Letter Teachers Received
The full text of the letter, shared with Cobb Voice by one of its readers, is reproduced here:
Dear Colleagues,
We want to share a timely update that may impact students and families in your communities.
This week, credible reports confirmed that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has launched a nationwide operation referred to as “Freaky Friday.” The initiative appears to target children 14 and older who entered the United States as unaccompanied minors.
Reports indicate that families may receive letters that:
• Offer financial incentives for voluntary return to their country of origin.
• Warn of possible detention or transfer to ICE custody once minors “age out.”
• Mention potential consequences for parents if children do not comply.Important reminder:
• Families and students have due process rights.
• They should not sign any documents from ICE or immigration officials without consulting a qualified immigration attorney.
• Legal counsel should be contacted immediately if such communications are received.We encourage you to share this information calmly and factually within your networks and to connect families with trusted legal resources as needed.
Sincerely,
Luma Mufleh
Founder, Fugees Family
When contacted about this letter, a spokesperson for the Cobb County Board of Education said, “Our schools follow the law, whether yet another political activist group agrees with the law.”
The Cobb County School District representative went on to say, “Their letter appears to villainize law enforcement. We are keeping students safe and teaching and will do both, while following the law.”
Who is Luma Mufleh and What is Fugees Family?
Luma Mufleh is a Jordanian-born activist who founded Fugees Family Inc. in 2006. The organization began with soccer and tutoring programs for refugee youth and now operates schools under the name Fugees Academy and programs geared toward English learners and immigrant communities.
Although the group presents itself as an advocate for immigrant and refugee families, there is no evidence that Mufleh or Fugees Family possess legal credentials or training. Yet the letter distributed to teachers reads as though it were authored by attorneys, providing what appears to be legal guidance. This creates a serious problem: the group is speaking with the authority of lawyers, despite not being licensed or qualified to offer such advice.
While many leftist organizations and publications have praised efforts by Fugees Family Inc and their academic arm Fugee Academy. Allegations of grave issues related to school governance and culture under the direction of Mufleh have been made public by former staff and students.
Allegations of Mishandling Children
In 2022, a Medium article described instances of inadequate supervision, with middle and high school boys left unsupervised during school hours.
The article also cited specific harsh disciplinary actions, such as taping a student’s mouth shut and making a student stand in front of the school during lunch for a failed test, leading to parental outrage.
Founder’s Actions and Rhetoric
In the same Medium article, Mufleh was quoted as questioning a student’s ability to speak English despite her being a U.S.-born citizen, asking, “Are you stupid? Are you lazy?”.
A student shared their reason for considering other schools: “Coach [Luma] can be really harsh. Sometimes I wonder if she goes home and thinks about the things she says/does to us. I feel like I am a good kid and I don’t deserve to be yelled at and treated like a bad kid.”
Another student was quoted in the Medium article, “I am tired of feeling bullied. Coach [Luma] says things that are hurtful. It’s like she doesn’t trust that I can be successful without being a Fugee.”
The Legal Risk: FERPA and the Irony of the Letter
The most serious concern about the letter is that it encourages teachers to spread information in ways that could compromise FERPA compliance.
FERPA — the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, is a federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. Under FERPA:
- Teachers and schools cannot share personally identifiable student information with outside groups without written consent or a legal mandate.
- Unauthorized disclosure of student information can carry severe penalties, including the potential loss of federal education funding.
- Teachers are required to protect all student records, including immigration status, test scores, and personal identifiers.
By urging teachers to share and circulate information with “networks” and “resources,” Fugees Family is encouraging behavior that runs dangerously close to unlawful disclosures.
The irony is clear: while the organization claims to protect vulnerable students, its letter places teachers in a position where following its advice could actually put those same students at risk by violating federal privacy protections.
Cobb County’s Policies on Student Information
The Cobb County School District maintains clear policies consistent with federal law. These policies include:
- Student records and data are never shared with outside organizations without parental consent or a legal requirement.
- Teachers are prohibited from releasing any information related to a student’s immigration status, grades, discipline record, or personal identifiers.
- The district provides training and guidance to all employees on FERPA compliance to ensure student privacy is protected.
These rules are not political. They are designed to protect students, safeguard privacy, and keep educators compliant with federal law.
Conclusion
The mass email from Fugees Family highlights the risk of outside activist groups attempting to insert themselves into school systems. With no legal training, the group is effectively asking teachers to behave like immigration lawyers and to take actions that could violate federal law.
Cobb County teachers have one clear responsibility: to protect their students’ privacy and follow the law. Outside organizations do not have the authority to override that responsibility.
In the end, the irony is unavoidable. In the name of protecting children, Fugees Family’s letter could have encouraged teachers to do the very opposite, to put students at greater risk by violating the laws that exist to keep them safe.
