French court upholds six-month closure of Muslim school in Creil

The Administrative Court of Amiens on Thursday upheld a six-month closure order for the Al Ghazali private school in Creil, rejecting applications by managing associations to suspend the prefecture's safety-driven shutdown, according to Oise Hebdo.

Safety inspections

Safety commissions reportedly flagged structural concerns during inspections conducted in June and September, specifically targeting the primary school building. The Oise prefecture subsequently required immediate corrective action, ultimately determining that the facility could not guarantee student welfare under current conditions.

The court said the school failed to provide necessary "safety guarantees" for its 250 students despite ongoing construction work. Prefectural authorities ordered the closure on September 29, citing concerns over room usage and operational arrangements that allegedly endangered pupils across the primary, middle and high school levels.

Legal challenge rejected

The Administrative Court of Amiens rejected two separate applications filed by the school's managing associations seeking to overturn the September 30 closure order. Judges said the associations failed to establish the "particular urgency" needed to suspend the prefecture's decision despite claims of serious financial consequences.

Appeal process

Families must relocate their children to other schools within a 15-day window to comply with the court's timeline. School administrators retain the option to challenge the ruling through an appeals process that must be initiated within the next 10 days, according to the judgment.