Texas School Agrees To Accommodate Muslim Prayer

Last week, the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty announced the agreement it had reached with Richardson, Texas school officials to accommodate religious practices of Muslim high school students. Muslim students in L.V. Berkner High School (outside Dallas) complained that they were no longer being allowed to pray their daily zuhr prayer on campus, or at best were required to forego their lunch in order to do so. Between October and April, the required time for such prayers falls only while the school day is in session. A December 16 letter from the school board's general counsel describes the detailed arrangement for students to "step outside the classroom just after the tardy bell to the hall alcove closest to the classroom to complete the prayer". The full text of the exchange of letter between school officials and the Becket Fund is available online.