When people complain about the growing list of requests for accommodation in public schools from students and parents from minority faiths, I like to remind them that the majority faith wrote the rules.

Founded as Protestant-dominated institutions in the 19th century, public schools never open on Sunday, close for Christmas, and in other ways institutionalize accommodations for the majority faith.

That’s why I applaud New York City Chancellor Joe Klein for arranging a special ceremony for a teenager who can’t attend her graduation because it’s being held on the Jewish Sabbath. With only one Jewish graduate, it is not surprising that Li Morse’s school didn’t try harder to find another day.  Truth be told, America’s expanding religious diversity is making it harder and harder to find any day that will accommodate everyone.