A 12-year-old boy from Farmersville, Texas, spoke out against his school district's decision to allow a Muslim outreach group to distribute Islamic materials during school hours. The incident at Wylie East High School involved handouts of Qurans, hijabs, and Sharia law pamphlets. Leland Saunders addressed the Wylie Independent School District board, advocating for religious neutrality in public education.
On February 2, an organization called Why Islam, owned by the Islamic Circle of North America, set up a booth at Wylie East High School during lunch to mark World Hijab Day. The group distributed copies of the Quran and hijabs to female students, along with literature on Sharia law. According to a review by The Christian Post, the Why Islam website includes statements declaring Jesus is 'not the Son of God' and features a page criticizing New Testament teachings, referred to as 'Pauline theology.'
The event drew criticism from parents and students, who questioned the appropriateness of religious promotion in a public school. Marco Hunter-Lopez, president of the school's Republican Club, shared a viral video highlighting the distribution. He noted, 'They were giving out hijabs to girls throughout the high school, and they were giving out Qurans, and they also had pamphlets about Sharia law.' Hunter-Lopez added that he had never seen a Christian church permitted to distribute Bibles in the cafeteria.
In response, 12-year-old Leland Saunders addressed the school board, emphasizing the need for neutrality. 'Public schools serve students from many different religious backgrounds, and students who have no religious beliefs at all,' Saunders said. 'Because of that, I believe our schools must remain neutral when it comes to religious promotion during the school day.' He also questioned potential double standards: 'If one religious organization is allowed to distribute materials, would every religious or ideological group be allowed to be given the same opportunity? If so, how will that be managed fairly? If not, how is that even equal treatment?'
District officials acknowledged that 'district protocols for guest speakers and student club interactions were not followed.' A staff member was placed on leave briefly but has returned. Board President Bill Howard issued an apology, promising to 'earn your trust back.' Saunders concluded his remarks by stating, 'This is about maintaining neutrality, fairness, and a religious boundary from education and religion.' The incident has prompted scrutiny of the district's values among families concerned about the separation of education and religion.
