This comes after some in the community, like parent Kimberly Herndon, were outraged over this assignment, asking students to copy the Islamic statement of faith for a world geography class.
Although the objections started with just a few parents at Riverhead High School, their complaints snowballed, attracting tens of thousands more emails and social media postings, some containing threats.
The incident underlined simmering anti-Islamic sentiment in the USA following the shootings in California on Dec 2 by a married Muslim couple who drew inspiration from the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria militant group.
A Virginia teacher under fire for a geography assignment is now being lifted up by her community.
Others threatened large protests on or near school property in the district, located in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley about 150 miles (240 km) southwest of Washington, officials said.
The statement translated to: “There is no god but Allah and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah”.
Some parents have accused the teacher, Cheryl LaPorte, of trying to indoctrinate students with Islam and are calling for her to be fired.
Lewis said with all this negativity, she wants to show love, especially this time of year.
“The communications have significantly increased in volume today and based on concerns regarding the tone and content of those communications, Sheriff Fisher and Dr. Bond mutually decided schools and school offices will be closed on Friday, December 18, 2015", the statement said.
Los Angeles officials closed the country’s second-largest public school system on Tuesday after receiving emailed threats that were later deemed a hoax, a move that was criticized by some as overreaction.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation was assisting in the investigation of threats that caused suburban Indianapolis school districts in Plainfield and Danville to cancel classes on Thursday.
LaPorte said she had received overwhelming support from former students, colleagues and others in the community. “Although students will continue to learn about world religions as required by the state Board of Education and the Commonwealth’s Standards of Learning, a different, non-religious sample of Arabic calligraphy will be used in the future”.
“No lesson was created to promote a religious viewpoint or change any student’s religious belief”, the statement said. More than 3,000 people have turned to Facebook and taken to the streets to support the teacher.
