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SANTA ANA, Calif. — A federal judge ruled that a public high school history teacher violated the First Amendment when he called creationism "superstitious nonsense" during a classroom lecture.
U.S. District Judge James Selna issued the ruling Friday after a 16-month legal battle between student Chad Farnan and his former teacher, James Corbett.
Farnan sued in U.S. District Court in 2007, alleging that Corbett violated the establishment clause of the First Amendment by making repeated comments in class that were hostile to Christian beliefs.
The lawsuit cited more than 20 statements made by Corbett during one day of class, all of which were recorded by Farnan, to support allegations of a broader teaching method that "favors irreligion over religion" and made Christian students feel uncomfortable.
During the course of the litigation, the judge found that most of the statements cited in the court papers did not violate the First Amendment because they did not refer directly to religion or were appropriate in the context of the classroom lecture.
But Selna ruled Friday that one comment, where Corbett referred to creationism as "religious, superstitious nonsense," did violate Farnan's constitutional rights.
One statement out of 20 was ruled to be in violation. I'd say +1 for the religious, +19 for the non-religious.
Quote:
"The court's ruling today reflects the constitutionally permissible need for expansive discussion even if a given topic may be offensive to a particular religion," the judge wrote.
"The decision also reflects that there are boundaries. ... The ruling today protects Farnan, but also protects teachers like Corbett in carrying out their teaching duties." Judge rules against teacher calling creationism 'nonsense' | Chronicle | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle (http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/6407592.html - broken link)
Freedom of religion depends on mutual respect for the different beliefs of people. A teacher's freedom of speech is circumscribed in the classroom. It's not the place to preach to students, nor is it the place to demean students' beliefs. If a teacher wants to share his personal beliefs with students, he should take care that the communication is clearly stated as his personal belief. He has no right in the classroom to put down the belief systems of others.
This will be over-ruled. Dover proved that ID is just warmed-over creationism.
And creationism is religious, supersititious nonsense.
The judge is a fool, as are any who applaud his action.
I don't think so. However you wish to characterize creationism in a public forum, it is a fundamental part of some religious belief. The court's decision is simply holding that the classroom is neutral territory for this debate. The teacher's comments were not neutral.
Awww religious people are so insecure in their little faith that it hurts them if someone calls it out for what it really is. So cute.
Why are you making fun of Obama for his faith?
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