Fairfax County Public Schools in Virginia has issued a six-page teacher guide for the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks that instructs staff not to link the attacks to radical Islam and to create "safe spaces" for Muslim students. The guidance has drawn criticism from figures including retired Navy Vice Admiral Lou Crenshaw, who was at the Pentagon during the attacks, who argues the approach softens historical facts to avoid controversy rather than ensuring pupils properly understand what happened.

An analysis of the 1,740-word document found roughly half is devoted to advice on creating safe spaces for Muslim and Middle Eastern students, about 15% covers specific 9/11 instruction, and the remainder addresses managing emotional responses. It contains 30 references to Islam, Muslim or Middle Eastern students and related concepts such as "Islamophobic rhetoric", compared with only three mentions of military families and one of first responders, despite the district's proximity to the Pentagon. The school district said it remains committed to honouring victims and first responders while fostering an inclusive environment, and the row echoes a wider debate, including the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's recent reversal of guidance discouraging journalists from calling 9/11 a "terrorist attack".