Thread: Kent, Washington School District Bows Down to Muslim Food Demands

URGENT ACTION ALERT

The Kent, Washington school district has changed their food options and removed all pork products, in order to accommodate Muslim dietary needs according to a frustrated parent. Dave Brabo, a resident of Renton, Washington recently expressed his concerns with the new policy to school officials.

Specifically Mr. Brabo spoke with the school’s Director of Nutritional Services, Tom Ogg, who informed him that “he was well aware of the issues (and the slippery slope) with the changes to menu options due to Muslim religious beliefs, but he said lots of Muslims had complained and threatened the school by reporting them to the U.S. Department of Education.”

Mr. Brabo was told that if the school system doesn’t “accommodate the Muslim dietary needs that their federal and state funding would be cut or pulled.”

He was told that the school system may be doing this in order to better accommodate incoming refugees.

The administration also told Mr. Brabo that they were obligated under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to "reasonably accommodate" this religious group’s needs. He was told that it’s for documented disabilities (physical or cognitive) and not for religious exceptions.

This school district is removing pork products from their menu, and labeling all food, so Muslims can know if any food item has pork in it. This modification affects no other religious affiliation.

Mr. Brabo was also told by Mr. Ogg, the school principal, and two nutritional service employees to “drop it and they were fearful of reprisal from the School District Administration and that funding would be cut if we didn't fall in line.”

This is unacceptable. If there is enough backlash to this ridiculous new policy, the school system will listen. But you must speak up!

We strongly urge you to call the Kent, Washington School District and voice your strong opposition to their new food policy. Express to them that the food choices for all students should not be dictated by one particular religion or group.

Pertinent contact information is noted below:

Kent School District

12033 SE 256th St

Kent, WA 98030-6503

Phone (253) 373-7000

Dr. Calvin J. Watts, Superintendent

Tom Ogg, Director of Nutritional Services

This type of ridiculousness will continue to occur in school districts all across this country unless we speak up now and do something about it.

Working together and speaking in unison, we CAN make a difference!

Please click here to burn up the Kent, Washington School District’s phone lines.

Let them know that you do not agree with this decision and they should not allow one group or religion to dictate the food choices for all students. This is outrageous and completely unacceptable.

Call an Official

Act for America - Home

View Kent School District's response to questions about KSD dietary practices here: http://www.kent.k12.wa.us/site/default.aspx?PageType=3&DomainID=1&ModuleInstanceI D=1352&ViewID=047E6BE3-6D87-4130-8424-D8E4E9ED6C2A&RenderLoc=0&FlexDataID=13440&PageID=1 .

Response To Questions About KSD Dietary Practices


Kent School District (KSD) has received calls from across the country asking about KSD dietary options to accommodate certain religious sensitivities. Most changes involving pork were made five years ago to reflect a culture of respect and inclusion for a uniquely diverse student population.

KSD has reduced the pork and red meat options on its menus and replaced them with a variety of poultry substitutions. These changes have been made in accordance with state and federal guidelines and have been designed to provide the most nutritional options available that would be culturally palatable to the widest range of the KSD student population. Pork products are not served at the elementary level and are labeled at the secondary level.

Every effort is made to accommodate a variety of health and dietary requirements including medical needs and food allergies.

The Kent region is one of the fastest growing and culturally diverse areas in the United States and the Kent School District is one of the most diverse school districts in Washington State with 28,000 students from over 100 countries and speaking over 130 languages.

The District serves over 15,000 meals each day and every effort is made to offer a variety of healthy choices so that differing nutritional needs, tastes, and cultural sensitivities can be adequately accommodated.

Our award winning Nutritional Services Department is made up of dedicated professionals that respect and support all students for healthy living and healthy learning.

http://www.kent.k12.wa.us/site/defau...13440&PageID=1

Thanks! Good to have both sides of the argument here at ALIPAC.us

W

SIMILAR, ORIGINAL ARTICLE FROM 2014, FROM ENGLAND

Parents fury as pork sausages are banned from the school menu and replaced with halal meat

• Sausages, ham and other pork products have been banned at Brinsworth Manor Infant and Junior Schools in Rotherham
• Just 20 per cent of the 600 pupils at the two schools are Muslim
• Governors agreed to the change to make the school more inclusive
  
• Rotherham Council said only serving halal meat was a 'minor adjustment'
• The move comes as Britain's vets call for Muslims and Jews to use more 'acceptable' methods of killing

By BEN ENDLEY
PUBLISHED: 12:09 EST, 7 March 2014 | UPDATED: 12:44 EST, 7 March 2014

211View comments

Parents have condemned a school's decision to ban all pork products from the menu and replace other meats with halal versions.

Pupils aged between three and 11 at Brinsworth Manor Infant and Junior Schools in Rotherham - which Ofsted identifies as having only a small number of pupils from minority ethnic groups - will no longer be able to enjoy sausages, bacon or ham.


Parents at both schools, which share a site, were told of the decision in a letter from Rotherham Council’s principal catering officer Ron Parry, who wrote that there had been ‘minor adjustments’ to the lunch menu.





Although just 20 per cent of the school's 600 pupils are Muslim the menu changes were reportedly brought in to make the school more inclusive






Parents were told of the decision in a letter from Rotherham Council¿s principal catering officer Ron Parry, who wrote that there had been ¿minor adjustments¿ to the lunch menu


The move comes as Britain's vet John Blackwell called for Muslims and Jews to use more 'acceptable' methods of killing.

And parents have branded the decision 'a scandal' as only twenty per cent of the 600 pupils are Muslim and the decision to provide halal meat was up to individual schools in the town.

A mother with an 11-year-old girl at the school, who asked not to be named for fear of being branded racist, said: 'At home I pay more for organic and free range food. I am a Christian but I don’t do it because of that, it’s more for the respect of how animals are killed.

The way the animals are slaughtered for halal meat is a religious killing and I don’t feel it should be in schools.

'My daughter has been anxious about the change as she has concerns about if it is humane killing. I believe in animal welfare rights and standards of meat production that halal does not follow.




The school governors at both schools are understood to have agreed to the menu change to ensure the meals are more inclusive

'I feel as strongly against eating meat that had been blessed in the name of a god I don’t believe in and the animal killed in a way I do not agree with, as Muslims do against eating non-halal meat.


'The children love pork and it’s a scandal to take these meats off the menu to please, what I consider to be, a low number of children who require halal meat.

'The majority of the children are now having school meals that are made for the minority. The halal children have always had the vegetarian and fish options. '

Another mum of a son at the school said she believed that halal slaughtering was cruel.


She added : 'My son is a really fussy eater and pork is his favourite meat. He’ll get bored having chicken all the time.'

A mother of two said parents who do not know much about halal meat had not been given enough information or time to understand it.


She said : 'Normally the school is good at consulting parents but with this we have just been told what is going to happen.


'I’d want to know more about halal meat before I’d be happy for my children to eat it. I’ve been told it is not as well refrigerated.


'It would have been good to have know what Muslim parents thought and if they were unhappy with the vegetarian option on the menu.'


Halal slaughter is performed by a Muslim butcher in the name of Allah in a way to avoid severing the spinal cord.






Halal slaughter is performed by a Muslim butcher in the name of Allah in a way to avoid severing the spinal cord




The school governors at both schools are understood to have agreed to the menu change to ensure the meals are more inclusive.


A spokesman for Rotherham Borough Council confirmed that school meals at both Brinsworth Manor schools have changed and now include halal and non-halal meat on the menu.


She added that the Schools Catering Service supplies about 17,000 school meals every day to children at infant, junior, primary and secondary schools in Rotherham.


She said: 'The provision of both halal and non-halal is not unusual in Rotherham's school. Currently, nine schools out of 115, select one of our menus that provide a mix of both halal and non-halal meals.


'All meat on our menus, including halal, is sourced from reputable companies, which fully comply with the quality standards of the relevant individual meat boards.


'The meals are also nutritionally balanced and cooked fresh on-site every day using locally sourced meat, fruit, vegetables and dairy products where possible.


'Our menus are designed to meet both national nutritional standards and dietary requirements so that all the children of Rotherham benefit.'

An Ofsted inspection last year found Brinsworth Manor Junior School 'required improvement' having been rated 'outstanding' after the previous visit.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...#ixzz42umlXRAP

Is there a source for the alert, European Knight?

Thank you.

Originally Posted by Jean

Is there a source for the alert, European Knight?

Thank you.

yes it's act for america from Brigit Gabriel news letter