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that the issue is about equality. We want

city schools, but state officials asserted

equal treatment." Currently, state regula-

that they had received calls from many

tions count a day taken off for religious

Baltimore teachers saying they never

received the materials.125

holidays as a "lawful absence," but stu-

dents still miss class and, said committee

Chairman Luis E. Borunda, "are penal-

Sex Education

· Montgomery County--Montgomery County

ized de facto by the fact that their record

indicates an excused absence." Despite

had been trying to establish a new sex edu-

this, in June the school board approved a

cation curriculum for years when, in May

calendar that did not give two Muslim

2005, it abandoned a plan that elicited a

holy days off.127

lawsuit from parent groups and led a fed-

·

eral judge to issue an injunction against

Howard County--In June, the Howard

the new curriculum. The parents objected

County schools confronted a problem

to the new curriculum because it would

similar to Baltimore County's, only in

have taught kids about homosexuality in

Howard's case the district kept a policy

eighth grade, and given tenth graders a

that allows Muslim students to leave

video demonstration of how to put on a

school 20 minutes early on Fridays to

condom. In October, the Montgomery

attend prayer services. A policy review

County school board tried to start all over

committee had recommended eliminat-

by appointing an advisory board to con-

ing the early dismissal because students

template changes to the curriculum.

who leave early end up missing a lot of

Trouble immediately ensued, however,

class time by the end of the year.

with a representative from Citizens for a

However, "Constitutionally, we are oblig-

Responsible Curriculum getting left off

ated to make reasonable accommoda-

the panel, even after the board agreed to

tion to those who wish to practice their

give the group a seat on the 15-member

religion" said Joshua M. Kaufman, chair-

advisory panel. The Board said the group

man of the Howard County Board of

Education.128

was left off because its nominee, Henrietta

Brown, had served on a previous sex edu-

cation committee. Citizens for a Responsi-

Massachusetts

ble Curriculum threatened to sue the dis-

Multiculturalism

· Waltham--With anonymous e-mails to

trict if their representative was not given a

seat on the advisory board.126

parents and staff questioning whether

principal Pilar Shepard-Cabrera gave

preferences to Latino children and

Religion

· Baltimore County--It is not easy to accom-

favored the district's Spanish-speaking

population in general, a December

modate the holidays of all religions, as

meeting of parents, teachers, and com-

Baltimore County schools found out

munity members at William F. Stanley

recently. Since 2004, Bash Pharoan, pres-

Elementary School descended into a

ident of the Baltimore County Muslim

dispute about racism and Shepard-

Council, has been trying to get the school

Cabrera's competence. What sparked

district to close on two Muslim holy days,

the fight were Spanish classes that had

just as it closes on Rosh Hashana and

been offered to teachers and staff on a

Yom Kippur. In February, a school board

volunteer basis under Shepard-Cabrera

committee recommended religious holi-

and fears that such classes would be

days for the system's calendar, and

forced on children. Many people present

Pharoan's desires were not met. "The

asserted that Shepard-Cabrera had

main issue," said Pharoan, "is that the ad

divided the school by catering to the

hoc committee failed again to recognize

33