Officials in Nashua, New Hampshire, have shut down all public schools for the day after receiving a “detailed threat of violence.” This comes after schools in Augusta County, Virginia, closed Friday amid outrage over a homework assignment on Arabic calligraphy. The assignment asked students to copy an Islamic statement of faith, known as the shahada, in order to gain “an idea of the artistic complexity of calligraphy.” But angry parents accused the teacher, Cheryl LaPorte, of trying to convert their children to Islam. After a torrent of phone calls, emails and social media postings, officials closed schools, citing the “tone and content” of the messages.
Virginia County Closes School amid Protests over Arabic Calligraphy Homework
HeadlineDec 21, 2015