A Nashville public school allows Muslim students to leave class to pray in a reserved space on campus during the school day, offering the accommodation daily during Ramadan and once a month during the rest of the year, according to local reports.
According to a report published Tuesday in the Nashville Banner, John Overton High School in South Nashville also supports Muslim students during Ramadan by offering food-free classrooms during lunch for students who are fasting.
In the afternoon, students who signed up received electronic hall passes allowing them to leave class for 15 minutes to pray in a reserved space on campus. More than 80 students signed up, according to the Banner.
Ten teachers also volunteered to make their classrooms a food-free space for Muslim students during the lunch hour during the month of Ramadan, when Muslims fast daily from dawn to dusk.
Al-Nadir Muhammad, a member of the school’s support staff, oversees the student prayer period and is responsible for assuring students are following the rules. He also offers support to Muslim students on campus, the Banner reported.
The report noted how students met in a foyer, laid paper towels down for makeshift prayer mats and put a divider between girls and boys before one student led a prayer and recited verses from the Quran.
The outlet previously reported that outside of the month of Ramadan, Muslim students are permitted to leave class to pray on campus once a month.
Muslim teacher Revas Barwari told the Banner the school’s treatment of Muslim students was a stark contrast to her own experience growing up in Nashville public schools, where she felt she had to hide that she was fasting.
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“What school do you know that actually changes their whole bell schedule to work around students being able to go pray?” she asked the outlet. “I don’t think the kids really even understand how important that is or see that like, ‘Wow, my school’s doing this for me.’”
The report noted that the school has worked to refine the prayer system after students and staff suggested to the administration several years ago that they provide a daily time and space for prayer.
The American Muslim Advisory Council also reportedly sent a letter to Metro Nashville Public Schools asking educators to support Muslim students during Ramadan by giving students a reserved space for lunch and to skip heavy physical activities during the fasting period.
“It is a Muslim’s right to fast and receive reasonable accommodations at school or work,” the letter stated, according to the report.
The US Department of Education says public schools must permit constitutionally protected student prayer and religious expression, including private prayer during the school day, but may not sponsor, organize, coerce or favor religious activity.
In February, the agency released guidance on prayer in public schools, saying schools should allow members of the school community to “act and speak according to their faith” as long as others’ rights are respected, the school itself is not engaging in religion, and the school does not favor one faith over another.
John Overton High School Principal Kelby Garner did not immediately return Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
