Federal judge rules that Christian-bashing teacher violated First Amendment

A Federal judge has ruled that an Orange County high school teacher violated the First Amendment by disparaging Christians during a classroom lecture.

Here’s how the Orange County Register explains it:

James Corbett, a 20-year teacher at Capistrano Valley High School, referred to Creationism as “religious, superstitious nonsense” during a 2007 classroom lecture, denigrating his former Advanced Placement European history student, Chad Farnan.

The decision is the culmination of a 16-month legal battle between Corbett and Farnan – a conflict the judge said should remind teachers of their legal “boundaries” as public school employees.

“Corbett states an unequivocal belief that Creationism is ’superstitious nonsense,’” U.S. District Court Judge James Selna said in a 37-page ruling released from his Santa Ana courtroom. “The court cannot discern a legitimate secular purpose in this statement, even when considered in context.”

In a December 2007 lawsuit, Farnan, then a sophomore, accused Corbett of repeatedly promoting hostility toward Christians in class and advocating “irreligion over religion” in violation of the First Amendment’s establishment clause.

We favor prayer in school. Lord knows we frequently needed divine intervention to get through high school.

Source: Orange County Register

Tagged as: christian, Creationism, student, teacher

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