Md. parents sue school system for teaching Islam

Charles County, Md. - Maryland residents Melissa and John Wood are suing Charles County Public Schools over what they say was "promotion of Islam" in a World History class.

According to court documents obtained by fox5dc.com, the Wood's lawsuit states that their daughter's constitutional rights were violated by a section on Islam taught in her World History class.

The lawsuit alleges that Charles County Public Schools "concealed that their high school World History class promoted Islam" by failing to mention the Islam lesson in a course syllabus and through the use of a separate textbook, kept on school grounds, which "extensively covered Islam."

The Wood's daughter, who is referred to as C.W. in the suit because she is a minor, was allegedly removed from the course and issued failing grades on her assignments because she "refused to deny and insult her Christian beliefs" by participating in activities that she believed affirmed that Muslims hold stronger faith convictions than Christians.

The lawsuit also states that Charles County Public Schools' "curriculum practices, policies, actions, procedures, and customs promote the Islamic faith by requiring students to profess the five pillars of Islam and to write out faith statements of the religion."

It claims the school spent only one day teaching Christianity, while devoting two weeks to the lesson on Islam.

"Defendants forced Wood's daughter to disparage her Christian faith by reciting the Shahada, and acknowledging Mohammed as her spiritual leader," President and Chief Counsel of the Thomas More Law Center Richard Thompson said in a press release.

Thompson added, "The course also taught false statements such as "Allah is the same God worshipped by Christians, and Islam as a "religion of peace. Parents must be ever vigilant to the Islamic indoctrination of their children under the guise of teaching history and multiculturalism. This is happening in public schools across the country. And they must take action to stop it."

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.