The Khalil Gibran International Academy opened in 2007 in the midst of a whirlwind of controversy regarding its Arabic and English dual-language curriculum. During the furor, the school's founder, Debbie Almontaser, was ousted from her job prior to its opening. She sued the city and, in 2009, a federal agency ruled in that she had been the victim of predjudice when she was fired. The academy did open on schedule, and both students and staff tend to avoid the spotlight.