Religious Discrimination by Principals of Good Character in Carlisle Co?

"The Muslims are planning a great jihad against America.

Arise, be viligent and don't let it happen."

This is part of a controversial email message passed around the Carlisle County Schools this past week. But it was not circulated by political activists. It was circulated by public school principals Keith Edging and Jessica Thomas. They sent it to the entire faculty.

The Carlisle County Schools have an anti-discrimination policy but Superintendent Keith Shoulders ignored it taking the stunning position that since the principals did not write the email, and only forwarded it to hundreds of people, that it was not discriminatory.

Shoulders did acknowledge a violation of school technology policy but instead of disciplinary action, Shoulders chose to praise the principals as "outstanding people" whose character he knew.

After all, who among us has not forwarded a bigotted email that made unfair claims and shamefully denegrated the faith of millions of non-Christians at one time or another?

This from WPSD:

With a simple click of the mouse, an e-mail was sent on its way Sept. 16.

It went from the high school principal to the elementary school principal, then to an entire school faculty.

One of the readers, who declined to share her name, remembers reading it, "I was just appalled that school e-mail would be used to send something so hateful."

It was a forwarded e-mail that read, in part, Muslim women were "slaves" who were
"hit" by their husbands.

It also claimed Muslims were planning an attack on Americans.

"The Muslims are planning a great jihad against America. Arise, be viligent and don't let it happen," the woman shared, reading from the e-mail.

She read it over and over, each time a new sentence catching her eye like this one: "They have an Army that is willing to shed blood in the name of Islam."

The Carlisle County School District has anti-discrimination policy. But Superintendent Dr. Keith Shoulders said the e-mail did not violate school policy because the women in question were not the authors and had simply forwarded it.

"The real thing it violates is our technology policy that school e-mail should be used
for school work," Shoulders said Thursday.

Shoulders said the two principals have already been talked to.

"They're outstanding people and I know their character. They just did
something we have all done at times: got an e-mail, scanned it and sent it on."

Still he admitted, the email was troubling.

"Obviously not every Muslim is a terrorist. That's an unfair statement."

And that's why the woman who spoke under the condition of anonimity said it is the educators who need an education in tolerance.

"They just need to be taught."

No disciplinary action will be taken against the two principals.

The woman we talked to has contacted the ACLU. The group's William Sharpe confimed they sent an open records request to the district to obtain the e-mail.

Superintendent Shoulders said he had received the request.

Sharpe told Local 6 the ACLU wants to investigate further before deciding whether to press on with the case.