Authored by Naveen Athrappully via The Epoch Times,
Conservative legal advocacy group America First Legal (AFL) has announced it is investigating the Fairfax County Public Schools school district in Virginia, accusing Fairfax of issuing a teacher's guide that seeks to falsify the ideological underpinnings of the 9/11 attacks.
The guide omits key historical details, while instructing teachers to obfuscate 9/11 facts, AFL said in a Sept. 23 statement.
The guide asks teachers not to associate the attacks with Islam or Muslims and instructs teachers that 9/11 commemoration must focus on lives lost and the people who sacrificed to help others rather than the attackers.
The district's guide was first published by Fox News in late August, with AFL's investigation initiated after the news coverage, the group said.
"Do not focus a commemorative learning experience about 9/11 on an examination of Islam," the guide states.
"Teachers who decide to take a deep dive into world religions as part of their 9/11 lesson unintentionally send the harmful message that Islam, or all Muslims, are responsible for these terrorist attacks."
The guide asks teachers to "intentionally include" Muslim Americans among the victims, helpers, and heroes when teaching about the event, according to the guide.
In addition, teachers are recommended to "intentionally disrupt" any implicit associations between "Muslim," "outsider," and "terrorist" in the national discourse.
When discussing the incident, teachers must make it clear that the Sept. 11 attacks were carried out by the al-Qaeda terrorist group, whose actions "should not be attributed" to Islam, according to the guide.
The guide raised concerns that teaching about 9/11 without careful consideration can lead to stigmatizing Islam and encouraging acts of racism against Muslim and Middle Eastern students and those perceived to belong to these groups.
On Sept. 15, AFL sent a letter to Fairfax County Public Schools, seeking records under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act.
Some of the records requested in the letter include the complete and current version of the guide document; information about authors, reviewers, editors, and approving officials; and all communications concerning the guide.
"Fairfax County Public Schools is attempting to sanitize history and erase the radical Islamic terrorism that struck our nation on September 11, 2001," Will Scolinos, counsel at America First Legal, said in the statement.
"Those unforgettable attacks are a national tragedy, with effects far exceeding 'Islamophobia.' Parents and the public must have full transparency regarding who is responsible for stripping truth from our children's classrooms. AFL will continue to investigate and hold public school officials accountable," Scolinos said.
In a statement given to Fox News, Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) said the institution has a "deeply personal connection" to the 9/11 incident because of its "proximity to the Pentagon and the many military-connected families we serve."
"On the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attacks, we remember the nearly 3,000 people who were killed, including 184 at the Pentagon. We remember the victims, their families, the survivors, and everyone whose lives were forever changed. We honor the first responders whose courage and sacrifice continue to inspire us," the school district said.
"FCPS remains committed to creating an inclusive environment in our schools where all students feel welcome and respected as we strive to provide a world-class education and workplace."
In a superintendent's message published by the school district on Sept. 11, it said that FCPS teaches events that occured on 9/11 based on the Virginia Standards of Learning for U.S. history.
In middle school U.S. History, the school district teaches how the attacks affected domestic policy, global perspectives on the war against terror and the heroic sacrifice of the passengers of Flight 93. Meanwhile, in high school Virginia and U.S. History, students are required to analyze the attacks within the broader context of terrorism and democracy.
The Epoch Times reached out to Fairfax County Public Schools for comment but did not receive a response by publication time.