The parents of a high schooler in Charles County, Maryland have filed suit against the school district for “promoting Islam” by implementing a pro-Muslim lesson plan in a World History class.
The lawsuit filed by Virginians John and Melissa Wood contends that the Charles County Public Schools “concealed that their high school World History class promoted Islam” by leaving the topic out of a course syllabus. The suit also alleges that a separate textbook kids weren’t allowed to take home was used for the segment on Islam.
The parents also say their daughter–identified as “C.W.” in the lawsuit–was retaliated upon by teachers and given a failing grade when she “refused to deny and insult her Christian beliefs” by participating in the Islam-centric lesson plan.
The parents also say the lesson plan didn’t just put Islam in historical context but actually propagandized for the religion with “curriculum practices, policies, actions, procedures, and customs promot[ing] the Islamic faith by requiring students to profess the five pillars of Islam and to write out faith statements of the religion.”
The lawsuit further alleges that while Christianity was given only one day in the course, the class dedicated two full weeks to Islam.
In a January statement, President and Chief Counsel of the Thomas More Law Center Richard Thompson said the school “forced Wood’s daughter to disparage her Christian faith by reciting the Shahada, and acknowledging Mohammed as her spiritual leader.”
“The Woods believe that it is a sin to profess commitment in word or writing to any god other than the Christian God,” the Thomas Moore Society says on its website. “Thus, they object to their daughter being forced to deny the Christian God and to her high school promoting Islam over other religions.”
The Woods’ also say the school refused to allow their child to opt out of the lesson plan and wouldn’t allow her to take up a replacement lesson in order to keep her grades up. Further, they say the school’s principal refused to meet with the parents and even forced a “No Trespass” policy on them so they couldn’t even step onto school grounds.
According to Fox News, “The Woods are seeking damages including a declaration that their daughter’s rights were violated by the school, a reform of teaching practices to include ending teaching lessons that violate similar rights and compensatory damages including attorneys’ fees.”
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston or email the author at igcolonel@hotmail.com
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