The Maryland office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today called on Olney Elementary School (OES) to provide clarification and transparency regarding concerns raised by a recent school communication about its “Culture Night” event.
CAIR is calling on school administrators to explain its decision-making process on which elements in the display were identified as hurtful or inappropriate, as well as its standards for cultural representation to make sure that Palestinian experiences, identity and history are not being treated differently from other cultures represented within the school community.
CAIR’s letter reads in part:
“A safe and supportive learning environment must include space for students to learn in an age-appropriate way about real-world histories and cultural narratives, including when they are complex or uncomfortable. This promotes critical thinking and global awareness. Shielding students from factual representations of history does not create safety; it only leads to erasure and fuels ignorance and bias, as we have seen amid multiple hate bias incidents within MCPS, including violent anti-Palestinian graffiti discovered earlier this year at Walt Whitman High School.”
“When schools appear to single out or suppress one identity under the guise of neutrality, it raises concerns about equity, consistency, and the lived experiences of those students,” said CAIR’s Maryland Director Zainab Chaudry. “Equity cannot be selective. If we are committed to ensuring every student feels a sense of belonging, that commitment must extend to students whose communities are experiencing profound grief, trauma, and global injustice. Especially in this climate, schools must take extra care not to contribute intentionally or unintentionally to the silencing or exclusion of vulnerable student communities. Educational spaces must be safe, supportive, engaging – and fact-based.”
This request for clarity comes amid a documented, alarming rise in anti-Palestinian and Islamophobic incidents in Maryland public schools. In January 2026, Islamophobic and anti-Palestinian graffiti reading “F*** Muslims, Nuke Palestine” was discovered at Walt Whitman High School in Montgomery County, prompting widespread condemnation from local officials and community leaders.
County leaders described the incident as “deeply disturbing” and reaffirmed that such hate “will not be tolerated.”
CAIR and other advocates have noted that such incidents are not isolated, but part of a broader pattern in which Muslim, Arab, and Palestinian students report being marginalized, erased, or targeted within school environments.
CAIR emphasized that cultural events like “Culture Night” are intended to celebrate diversity and foster belonging. Policies, statements and decisions that chill, restrict or discourage the representation of Palestinian identity undermine those goals.
The civil rights group is calling on Olney Elementary School to:
• Provide a clear explanation of the policies governing cultural representation at school events
• Ensure that all school programming is inclusive, viewpoint-neutral, and grounded in factual, age-appropriate educational standards
• Engage directly with impacted Palestinian Muslim and Christian families and community stakeholders to build trust
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
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CONTACT: CAIR Maryland Director Zainab Chaudry, [email protected], 410-971-6062; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, [email protected]; CAIR National Communications Manager Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, [email protected]