Presented with the opportunity to recognize a Muslim holiday on the school calendar for the first time, leaders of Maryland's largest school district went a different direction: They removed all mention of religious holidays from the calendar.
Many school districts nationwide don't spell out religious holidays on the calendar, having replaced "Christmas Break" with the secular "Winter Break." But school officials in Montgomery County, Maryland, a wealthy and diverse Washington suburb, are being criticized for the impetus behind their decision: a push by Muslims to close schools on the Eid holy days.
Muslim activists had asked the board to note on next year's calendar that Yom Kippur, a day when schools are already closed, is also Eid al-Adha. The two holidays do not always fall on the same date. But the board rejected that proposal, instead voting 7-1 to close schools on the same days as usual without mentioning their religious associations.
As a result, Christians and Jews are upset at the removal of their holidays from the calendar, and Muslims are upset that theirs weren't included. Conservative bloggers seized on the decision as part of a perceived "war on Christmas" by secular forces. And Muslims accused the board of hiding behind secularism to protect more established communities.
"It was a no-win situation for us," school board chairman Phil Kaufman said.
Still, Kaufman believes the decision was fair and that some of the furor over it was misplaced.