Texas high school teacher in trouble for showing class anti-Islam material

HOUSTON — A Houston-area high school teacher is facing punishment from his school district for allegedly handing out material in a class that called Islam an ideology of war and said it is responsible for beheadings and kidnappings.

“We’re disappointed to learn one teacher made independent changes to a lesson plan, resulting in information being given that didn’t follow subject matter, or state and local curriculum plans,” Mike Rockwood, executive director of community relations for the Lamar Consolidated Independent School District, said on Wednesday.

The district said the teacher, who has not been identified, would face punishment but gave no indication of what it may involve.

The eight-page handout titled “Islam/Radical Islam (Did You Know)” was given to students at a district high school at the end of March.

It contains unsourced material with claims such as 38 percent of Muslims believe that those who leave the faith should be executed, according to a copy seen by Reuters.

“Only a strong response to this attempt at student indoctrination will send a message that our schools must never be incubators of hate,” said Mustafaa Carroll, the executive director of the Houston branch of the advocacy group Council on American-Islamic Relations.