Parents sue San Diego school district over its anti-Islamophobia program
Parents have sued a school district in San Diego over its plan to teach about Islam as part of an anti-Islamophobia campaign.
The Freedom of Conscience Defense Fund (FCDF) filed a lawsuit against the San Diego Unified School District on Monday over its decision to grant special provisions to Muslim school students in an effort to protect them from bullying. The organization said that the move was "blatantly unconstitutional" and that it runs "contrary to America's enduring belief in religious equality."
According to Church Militant, the plaintiffs in the lawsuit include six parents who are suing on behalf of their children, the school watchdog group Citizens for Quality Education San Diego and the San Diego Asian Americans for Equality Foundation.
The school district is being accused of granting special religious accommodations to Muslim students and forcing teachers to undergo training on advocating for Muslims.
According to ABC 10 News, the Council on American–Islamic Relations (CAIR) pushed for the anti-Islamophobia program, which was approved by the school board by a vote of 4–0 on April 4.
The lawsuit argued that CAIR's definition of bullying is different from the school district because the group considers a "preference" against Islam as an act of bullying.
"Plaintiffs do not wish for their children, as non-Muslims, to be accused of bias and bullying by the School District and CAIR if they express viewpoints or beliefs that may conflict with the School District's and/or CAIR's arbitrary, de facto interpretations of 'bias' and 'bullying,'" the lawsuit stated.
The district noted in its "Protected Classes" report that there were seven reported cases of bullying or harassment of students based on religion between July and December 2016.
However, FCDF President and Chief Counsel Charles LiMandri pointed out that the report does not break down the religious affiliation of the victims, and it is not clear whether any of those students were Muslims.
LiMandri said that the school district appears to be showing a preference for one religion over another. He noted that the lawsuit will be dropped if the district treats all religions equally.
"You have to treat all major religions equally or just not give any of them any type of special privileges," he stated.
"Quite frankly, Christians are getting tired of being kicked around. You can't call Christmas vacation 'Christmas vacation' anymore. It's got to be called 'winter holiday,'" he went on to say.