Excerpt:
A letter sent to Washington school districts asking them to accommodate Muslim students' needs and offering a classroom lesson on sacred Islamic times of year has sparked controversy in Pierce County.
A group concerned about what it describes as a trend of favoritism towards Islam in public education held a town hall meeting Tuesday on South Hill, prompted in part by the letter.
The Puyallup School District also has fielded calls and emails from parents "concerned we'd be teaching any sort of religion" in schools, said district spokeswoman Karen Hansen.