On Wednesday, October 7, the administrative court in Amiens rejected two requests to quickly reopen the non-contract Muslim school group Al-Ghazali in Creil. The 258 students enrolled at the school will not return to their classrooms before the end of a six-month administrative closure ordered by the prefecture of Oise. The school remains closed, causing anxiety among staff, students, and parents. In its ruling, the judge stated that the conditions for urgently suspending the prefect of Oise’s orders were not met. The request was made jointly by the Al-Ghazali association, which runs the school, and the Association Cultuelle et Culturelle des Musulmans de l'Oise (ACCMO), the building’s owner. They had used a special legal procedure called reference-liberty, which requires the judge to rule within 48 hours. However, the court found the situation did not meet the emergency criteria needed for this process. The judge confirmed the closure on two grounds. First, the school did not meet all the safety requirements identified by the administration, which the associations did not contest. Second, the applicants failed to sufficiently counter the claim that during an inspection on September 22, some classrooms were being used in a way that was not properly disclosed. Regarding the ban on using the primary school building, which has been in place since August 28, the judge noted that the premises cannot be used until a safety commission inspects them. This inspection cannot happen immediately, and another prefectural decree prohibits teaching in alternative buildings. The judge also found no evidence that these measures would seriously harm the school’s operations in the short term. The situation began in June when a fire safety commission found issues with the primary school building, deeming it unsafe for the public. The mayor of Creil ordered the ACCMO to fix these issues on June 15. On August 28, the prefect of Oise banned access to the building until it met safety standards. A first reference-liberty request by the associations was rejected on September 5. The school managers then carried out repairs and submitted a compliance report on September 23. A joint inspection by the National Education and the prefecture took place on September 22. Authorities reported that inspectors were denied access to several areas, and two classrooms had been set up in an adjacent mosque. A playground was also found on a parking lot open to vehicles. On September 29, the prefect closed the entire school for six months at the recommendation of the rector. At a hearing on Monday, October 5, the school's lawyer, Me Sefen Guez Guez, argued that his clients acted in good faith. He noted this was the fifth unscheduled inspection since 2025 and that the school had requested a follow-up inspection since July 16. He also pointed out that the treatment of Al-Ghazali seemed different from that of a Catholic school in Bétharram, and he placed the case in a broader context, referencing other schools such as Al-Kindi in Décines and Averroès in Lille. The Al-Ghazali association had previously posted on social media on October 1, stating it had implemented safety measures and submitted the necessary documents. It emphasized that student safety has been a priority for 15 years, adding, “We are not asking for any special treatment. We are asking for answers.” An online fundraising campaign to support the school was launched this week, and as of Thursday, October 8, over 11,000 euros had been raised out of a 50,000 euro goal. The court’s ruling does not resolve the core issue but notes the lack of urgency for immediate judicial action. The associations can appeal to the reference judge of the Council of State within 15 days. In the meantime, efforts to reschool the children continue. According to France 3, about 35% of the students had found new placements a few days after the closure. The mayor of Creil, Omar Yaqoob, expressed concern about the city's schools' ability to accommodate these new students.