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Maine school official cites Muslim concerns over classroom dogs
A Portland Public Schools administrator raised Islamic religious objections to dogs in classrooms as the district considers changing its pet policy after a teacher requested to foster puppies.
A senior administrator in Portland Public Schools in Maine has raised religious objections to allowing dogs in classrooms, citing Islamic beliefs about the animals as the district weighs changes to its classroom pet policy. The discussion began after a teacher at Ocean Avenue Elementary School asked permission to foster puppies in her classroom, where students would have the chance to interact with the animals during reading and playtime.
Dr. Abdullahi Ahmed, the district's assistant superintendent for student, family and community partnerships, raised the concerns during an Oct. 14 policy committee meeting. He explained that some Islamic traditions regard dog saliva as impure, and said he had consulted local Muslim religious leaders, who opposed keeping dogs as classroom pets. Ahmed also said some people have had negative experiences with dogs in the past, a factor he said families may weigh when considering the issue.
Ahmed was careful to say that the Muslim community is not opposed to animals in general. "In Islamic tradition, there is always the love for animals and living things and compassion for animals," he said, according to a report by The National News Desk. He suggested that accommodations could include keeping dogs in a separate room, a step that would respect students and families with religious objections. He added that the imams he spoke with did not want dogs kept as pets in classrooms.
The committee discussed whether any revised policy should apply only to dogs or extend to other classroom animals. Members also considered opt-in and opt-out accommodations that would let individual families decide how their children take part in animal activities. Ahmed was born and raised in Somalia and speaks Somali, Arabic, English and Urdu, according to his district biography, a background that he brought into the discussion of community perspectives.
No vote on policy changes was taken at the Oct. 14 meeting, and the district has not announced a final decision. The outcome will determine whether the Ocean Avenue teacher's request can go forward and whether the district adopts a broader framework for classroom animals.
In a statement to Fox News Digital, Tina Descovich, co-founder of Moms for Liberty, said dogs have long enriched the lives of schoolchildren across the country. She called objections to dogs in classrooms "silly." Fox News Digital reached out to Ahmed and to Ryan Scallon, superintendent of Portland Public Schools, for comment but had not received responses at the time of publication.
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