"We cannot allow Islam to take over" one post reportedly said.
ELMWOOD PARK -- The borough school board member who was widely criticized for making anti-Muslim posts on Facebook said her comments were being taken out of context.
Gladys Gryskiewicz reportedly posted a comment that told Muslims to "(s)tay in your desserts [sic] and follow your religion in your own countries," the New Jersey chapter of the Council on Islamic Relations said in a news release.
"We cannot allow Islam to take over," another Facebook post said, according to reports.
Gryskiewicz told PIX11 that her social media statements were in response to a specific article shared on Facebook she said was about a Muslim woman who "disrespected" the National Anthem.
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"It wasn't toward the Muslim community, it was toward that woman," she said in an exclusive interview with the television station. "It wasn't hate what I wrote."
Gryskiewicz said her comments were taken out of context and she was only upset over the news article.
The controversy erupted after the Facebook posts from earlier this year became public. State lawmakers and local school officials have called for Gryskiewicz to step down. She has not responded to a request for comment.
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Gryskiewicz previously said she would not leave her post. She was elected to the school board in January.
Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @noahyc. Find NJ.com on Facebook.