by Stan Griffin
To some parents in an Ohio school district, the answer was "Yes!"
Students in one teacher’s seventh grade social studies classes had been studying the five major world religions, including Islam. She arranged a field trip for them to visit the Islamic Center of Greater Cincinnati.
When "concerned parents" heard about the proposed visit, several complained to the teacher and to other school officials. What seemed to be most troubling was their belief the trip would be a violation of the "separation of church and state."
By mutual agreement, the teacher and school superintendent regretfully decided to cancel the visit, saying it was " ... (an) effort to educate students ...", " ... a great idea ...", and " ... a good effort ... to broaden our kids ... and expose them to different cultures ...".