NY councilman pushes to add halal food options in public schools

BROOKLYN, N.Y.—City Councilman Rafael Espinal (D-Brooklyn) announced Wednesday he wants to expand school lunch menus to include halal food options for Muslim students. Council Member Espinal called on the New York City Department of Education to incorporate the halal lunch menu option for students that would otherwise skip meals due to strict dietary guidelines.

“Muslim students in our public schools are not eating lunch because the options they are currently given does not conform to the strict dietary guidelines of their faith. This is simply unacceptable. I cannot sit idle while children in my district go hungry in school.”