Houston teacher resigns under fire for not doing his homework

RICHMOND, Texas (Christian Examiner) – A Richmond, Texas, teacher of a senior economics class resigned while facing disciplinary action by Foster High School administrators after he distributed to students an eight-page handout on Islam that highlighted its radical elements, material that at least one Muslim student's parents found objectionable.

KTRK TV, a local ABC affiliate, reported that during a board meeting Tuesday night Lamar Consolidated Independent School District officials released a statement saying the embattled teacher had turned in his resignation on April 8.

Without naming the faculty member, the statement said the district was "aware of one teacher who made an independent decision to provide information to students that didn't follow subject matter, or state and local curriculum plans" and assured parents and the public the district was determined that students "have access to factual information, given in the proper context."

The material given to students on March 27 called Muhammad a "false prophet" and described Islam as an "ideology of war."

It also reported information without sourcing such as "38 percent of Muslims believe people that leave the faith should be executed" as well as "Islam does not tolerate homosexuality, divorce, pre/extra marital sex, suicide (except as part of jihad), and 60+ percent believe women should be submissive to their husbands in all cases at all times."

"Muslims generally believe that there should be no government in the world other than the government guided by Islam via Allah," the text also claims. "In other words, Muslims believe that government is to be Allah's government; therefore no other government is legitimate. All governments – except Islam – should be overthrown. This is the reason for jihad."

The Houston chapter of the Council On American-Islamic Relations called the information "virulently anti-Muslim."

"That stuff is all over the internet," Mustafaa Carroll, executive director of the local CAIR group, told the Houston Chronicle. He objected to it being further propogated through a handout to a high school class.

A representative for Houston CAIR spoke during the board meeting on behalf of the Muslim student who was in the classroom when the handout was distributed. Ruth Nasrullah, communications coordinator for the organization, said the teacher's information was filled with outrageous claims "and shouldn't have been given to students," according to KHOU.com. But parents and students who packed the board room were outraged at the loss of the teacher for what they described as simply exposing the evils of radicalism to his students.

"There was a knee jerk reaction here," one parent said.

"Our kids have lost a great teacher."