Marjorie Taylor Greene's ex-husband settles harassment claim by Muslim women for $75K
Man harassing Muslim women agrees to $75K settlement
Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene's ex-husband has reached a settlement agreement with a group of Muslim women he harassed in a mall parking lot last month. The victims gathered at their mosque in Johns Creek on Monday to discuss the new developments.
ALPHARETTA, Ga. - Three Muslim college students who were verbally harassed while praying outside the Avalon shopping center in Alpharetta have reached a $75,000 settlement with Perry Greene, the ex-husband of Georgia Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene.
During a news conference Monday in Johns Creek, attorneys for the women and representatives from CAIR Georgia revealed new details about the case and its resolution. The women said Greene contacted them through their attorneys after the video began circulating online. He later apologized to them privately and issued a public apology earlier this month.
RAW: Ex-husband of Marjorie Taylor Greene settles harassment complaint
Attorneys representing the 3 women who were verbally attacked by the ex-husband of Georgia Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene held a press conference Monday to announce a settlement from Perry Greene.
PREVIOUS: Ex-husband of Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene apologizes to Muslim women
In addition to the apology, Greene agreed to pay the women $75,000, which they have since donated to their local mosque. The women said they believe Greene was sincere in his apology and expressed hope that the incident could serve as a broader lesson in tolerance and respect.
"Today, I want to tell Mr. Greene that we accept his apology, and we hope that he will continue to treat others with fairness, respect, equality and dignity," one of the women said during the press conference.
Settlement over verbal attack caught on video
The ex-husband of Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene has reached a settlement with three Muslim women after he was caught on camera verbally harassing them while they were trying to pray in an Alpharetta parking garage.
The backstory:
The confrontation occurred in late March at the Avalon mall in Alpharetta. The three women, who were wearing hijabs, had pulled into a quiet area of the parking lot to pray when the altercation unfolded.
"We came here just to enjoy some desserts," Nesrine, one of the victims, said. "It was time for one of the prayers to end, so we wanted to make sure we reached it. We set our carpet up, our prayer rug, right next to our car in an empty parking spot tucked away in the corner."
Three Muslim women said they were verbally attacked by a stranger in Alpharetta while praying. (FOX 5)
The video shows a man leaning out of a Tesla Cybertruck and directing hateful comments at a group of women, including telling them to "go back to their country."
The video prompted outrage from community members and civil rights organizations.
PREVIOUS STORY: Caught on camera: Man hurls insults at Muslim women praying in Alpharetta
Perry Greene settles harassment claim
Perry Greene, ex-husband of Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, has settled a harassment claim made by 3 Muslim women who were praying when they were verbally attacked by Greene.
In early April, Perry Greene apologized at the women's place of worship in Johns Creek during Friday prayer services. Greene met privately with the women, who had requested a public apology after the incident drew widespread attention.
What they're saying:
"I just wanted them to know I humbly apologize to them because nobody should be treated that way, and that’s not the way to treat anyone with differences," Greene said. "Hopefully they find it in their hearts to forgive me, and we shouldn’t allow that in our society."
Man who verbally attacked Muslim women apologizes
A mea culpa from the man who verbally attacked three Muslim women earlier this week. The man in a now viral video verbally attacking three Muslim women says he is sorry. He apologized to the three women today at their house of worship and says he hopes they will forgive him.
Attorney Ali Awad, who is working with the victims, said Greene has expressed interest in making a donation to a nonprofit combating Islamophobia.
"He has entertained the idea of issuing a donation to a nonprofit battling Islamophobia. Our goal here is education. We do not kick people while they are down," Awad said. "We chose to take the high ground today. We chose peace. We chose to allow Mr. Greene to come to the community and issue an apology directly to the family."
Greene did not answer questions from the media following the apology.
The other side:
Ali Awad, the group’s attorney, said his clients chose reconciliation after what they felt was a sincere expression of remorse.
"In the Islamic tradition, when an enemy comes and apologizes and brings their head down and gives you what my clients believe was a sincere apology, we accept it and we move on," Awad said.
"In Islam we show grace even to our enemies," Nesrine said. "Our hope is even those who hated us will begin to accept us as equals. Nothing more."
Supporters say they are choosing peace but want the encounter to be a teaching moment.
Azka Mahmood, executive director of the Georgia chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said the incident is part of a troubling trend.
"Since the genocide in Gaza began, CAIR Georgia has recorded a 250% increase in anti-Muslim incidents in Georgia alone," Mahmood said.
She said the incident highlighted the urgent need for continued community education against harassment.
What's next:
The women plan to donate the entire settlement to their mosque.
Alpharetta police are not filing charges against Greene for the incident, saying in a statement that "in our community all speech is protected - even the speech we may not agree with."
The Source: Information for this story came from a release by CAIR-Georgia and previous FOX 5 reporting. This story has been updated since it was originally published to add details from a press conference on Monday afternoon.