Pastors in the Houston area who objected to a pro-Islam assembly at an area junior high school are applauding the removal of the principal who arranged the presentation.
As OneNewsNow previously reported, nearly 900 seventh- and eighth-grade students at Friendswood Junior High were required to attend a pro-Islam presentation by two representatives of the Council on American-Islamic relations. The program stated Islamic opinion on religious issues as fact, and contained instruction on how to practice Muslim religious rituals.
Pastor Dave Welch, executive director of the Houston Area Pastor Council, was one of those who complained about the assembly. He is responding now to news that the principal who planned the assembly has been removed from her position.
“We’re very pleased that the district has responded to the community’s concerns and issues at hand here,” Welch responds. “Obviously, our primary concern was that she be removed from the position of trust as principal in that; and show clear consequences, appropriately, to the students and the community that the violation of school policy, state law, and the trust of parents matters in the big picture.”
According to the school district, Friendswood Principal Robin Lowe “has accepted another administrative position effective immediately.” In a memo to parents, Superintendent Trish Hanks claimed Lowe misunderstood her permission to allow the assembly for faculty and staff to attend. Welch is not buying the explanation.
“No, I guess, in a nutshell ... this principal simply, knowingly disobeyed procedure and violated the policies,” Welch says.
Even though Lowe has been reassigned, Welch says area pastors and parents are still concerned because she had already planned a “multicultural diversity” curriculum for next year. He believes they will be raising that concern with the superintendent as soon as possible.
