A Ramadan display was taken down from the entrance of Bunker Hill Elementary School in Houston this week. Spring Branch Independent School District officials stated that it violated the district’s policy on political and religious neutrality. The school board adopted this policy in the summer of 2022. District spokesperson Melissa Wiland explained that once officials learned about the religious holiday display at an elementary school, they instructed campus leaders to remove it. She noted that no other holiday displays are currently present at the school. Associate Superintendent Linda Buchman mentioned that a parent raised the issue, pointing out that the display did not comply with the neutrality policy. The decorations featured crescent-shaped balloons and four banners displaying the phrase “Ramadan Mubarak,” meaning “blessed Ramadan.” The Parent Teacher Association’s cultural awareness committee set it up a few days before the Muslim holy month began on February 17. Committee chair Casey Kaf Alghazal, who is Muslim, said the group was formalized at the end of the previous school year. It had previously arranged small displays for various holidays. Kaf Alghazal indicated that she had organized decorations for other religious holidays this school year, such as Hanukkah, Christmas, and Easter.
The goal was to ensure all children felt acknowledged and included. She described the community as generally supportive but expressed shock at the removal. She does not hold the school’s leaders responsible. She argued that the district claims items like chocolate bunnies, Easter eggs, and Christmas trees do not count as religious, while crescent moons and related symbols are not permitted. She described the timing as suspicious, noting no objections to Lunar New Year or Hanukkah celebrations, but an issue arose with Ramadan. The Harris County chapter of Moms for Liberty, a national conservative activist group, posted about the display on Instagram late last week, reaching its 625 followers. The post criticized the religious nature of the decorations amid “Go Texan Day” festivities. Chair Denise Bell said she received photos from two sources believed to be parents at the school. She did not send them directly to the district and received no contact from officials. Bell expressed concern over promoting one specific religion. When asked about comfort with Christmas trees or Easter egg displays, she described those holidays as secularized, with symbols like bunnies and eggs seen as cultural rather than religious. Kaf Alghazal acknowledged the principle of separation of church and state but questioned its consistent application. She said that if the rule is genuine, it should apply equally, without exceptions for certain traditions like Christmas trees, Easter bunnies, or kindergarten egg hunts.
This enforcement contrasts with the district’s recent actions on Senate Bill 10, a state law from last summer requiring public schools to post the Ten Commandments from the King James Bible in classrooms. Earlier this week, Spring Branch ISD trustees rejected a parent’s request to remove the posters or add displays from other faiths. The district must comply with the law, though its constitutionality is under review by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Civil rights groups, including the ACLU, have sued several Texas districts, arguing the requirement violates First Amendment protections. A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction blocking it in some areas, but Spring Branch ISD is not part of that lawsuit and continues to follow the mandate.
