Federal appeals court overturns Louisiana school prayer law

Church & State, Jan 2002

* Special prayer rooms for Muslim students during Ramadan will not be set aside in New York City public schools after all. Controversy erupted in the Big Apple after Muslim students demanded the right to have special prayer rooms established in city schools. The students said they needed the space for prayers during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.

Chancellor Harold O. Levy at first directed schools to set up the rooms but later changed his mind. Levy issued a statement pointing out that students of all faiths may pray in school in a non-disruptive fashion whenever they like but adding that it would be improper "to set aside rooms or designate areas for student prayer or for school officials to organize or lead such prayer."

Public school officials in Chicago are also grappling with the issue.

* The Family Research Council has launched a campaign backing a moment of silence in public schools. The organization says it will urge states to adopt legislation similar to a moment-of-- silence law in Virginia that survived a legal challenge in the federal courts.