When seventh-grade students at Chatham Middle School were assigned a lesson on the 5 Pillars of Islam as part of their global studies curriculum, the goal was not conversion—it was comprehension. That’s the conclusion reached by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, which on May 5, 2025, upheld the New Jersey school district’s use of religion-related YouTube videos as part of its World Cultures and Geography class.
At the heart of the case was a parent’s claim that the materials—specifically two YouTube videos linked in class slides—violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment by promoting Islam. But the court found that the lessons were part of a broader, constitutionally permissible effort to teach comparative religion, which remains an essential part of understanding global history, culture, and politics.
“The Board assigned videos to help students ‘explore the 5 Pillars of Faith and be able to explain the impact/significance of them in the Muslim culture,’” wrote Judge Thomas M. Hardiman in the court’s majority opinion. Because the content was presented within an academic framework alongside material on Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, and Buddhism, the court held it did not resemble any “hallmarks” of government-established religion such as coercion, preference, or proselytization.
Comparative religion studies have long been a core component of social studies education, reflecting their historical and cultural relevance. From the Reformation to the Crusades, and from modern geopolitics to civil rights movements, religious beliefs and institutions shape events across continents and centuries. Understanding these systems is not just an academic exercise—it is a civic necessity.
In its ruling, the court emphasized that religious content in public school classrooms can serve secular objectives, such as developing critical thinking and cultural literacy. The Islam-focused videos, for example, were embedded in lessons on generalization and cultural impact. One worksheet asked students to identify generalizations in the material and test their validity—underscoring that the instruction was analytical, not devotional.
The court also pointed out that participation in religious instruction was not mandatory: the videos were linked in online class materials but not shown in class, and the teacher did not require students to watch them. Moreover, similar instructional content was used for other religions across the school’s broader curriculum.
Concurring in the judgment, Judge Peter J. Phipps agreed the materials did not violate the Constitution and emphasized that the mere presence of religious content does not make an educational activity unconstitutional. Quoting the Northwest Ordinance of 1787, he noted that “Religion, morality, and knowledge” have historically been considered essential to education.
With the Supreme Court’s 2022 ruling in Kennedy v. Bremerton School District having rejected the longstanding Lemon test, courts now assess Establishment Clause challenges by referencing historical practices and focusing on whether state action coerces religious belief or favors one religion over another. In this case, the court found neither.
This ruling only applies to a narrow claim for nominal damages, as the student is no longer in the class and broader claims for injunctive relief were dismissed. No appeal has yet been announced.
So let me get this straight — a mom in Jersey sues a public school because her seventh-grader watched a YouTube video about Islam in a world cultures class, claiming it was religious indoctrination? Hey, it’s not a madrasa, it’s Google Classroom — the kid wasn’t reciting the Shahada, he was just trying to finish his worksheet before Minecraft booted up.
The court basically said, ‘Nice try, but no dice.’ And you know what? Good. Because teaching about world religions isn’t some gateway to conversion — it’s called education. You think Christian schools don’t cover Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism? Of course they do. Because if you’re gonna walk through the modern world with your eyes open, you oughta know what other people believe — it’s called context, not catechism. Kids should know what different religions of the world believe.
Besides, it was a five-minute YouTube video with background music. If that’s enough to convert your kid, maybe the problem isn’t the school…
Case decision link: Hilsenrath v. School District of the Chathams (3rd Circuit, May 5, 2025) https://www2.ca3.uscourts.gov/opinarch/233030p.pdf