San Diego: Debate over Muslim prayer in public school
"One would think the ACLU would be all over this, after aggressively going after the minutest manifestation of Christian prayer in public schools for decades. Think again.
"Muslim prayers in school debated: S.D. elementary at center of dispute," by Helen Gao in the San Diego Union-Tribune (thanks to all who sent this in):
A San Diego public school has become part of a national debate over religion in schools ever since a substitute teacher publicly condemned an Arabic language program that gives Muslim students time for prayer during school hours.
Carver Elementary in Oak Park added Arabic to its curriculum in September when it suddenly absorbed more than 100 students from a defunct charter school that had served mostly Somali Muslims.
After subbing at Carver, the teacher claimed that religious indoctrination was taking place and said that a school aide had led Muslim students in prayer.
An investigation by the San Diego Unified School District failed to substantiate the allegations. But critics continue to assail Carver for providing a 15-minute break in the classroom each afternoon to accommodate Muslim students who wish to pray. (Those who don't pray can read or write during that non-instructional time.)
Some say the arrangement at Carver constitutes special treatment for a specific religion that is not extended to other faiths. Others believe it crosses the line into endorsement of religion.
Yep."
Make sure to read the San Diego Union-Tribune article for some more eyebrow-raisers about this story.
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This is incredibly stupid of them. There are very specific decisions about this sort thing by, these guys might have heard of them, the Supreme Court: Lee v. Weisman and SFI School Dist. v. Doe. Jimminy Cricket.
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