There is a troubling case out of Sabine Parish, Louisiana which, according to a Buddhist family, acted more like a real parish than a public school district. A Buddhist family sued Sabine Parish School Board for violating their right to religious freedom with the help of the American Civil Liberties Union. If the allegations are true, the district is engaging in astonishing levels of entanglement with religion in one of the most extreme violations of constitutional law in decades.
The lawsuit describes hallways with “[p]aintings of Jesus Christ, Bible verses, and Christian devotional phrases adorn the walls of many classrooms and hallways . . . A lighted, electronic marquee placed just outside the building scrolls Bible verses every day . . . . . . several posters urging students to “Pray,” “Worship,” and “Believe,” while a poster displayed near the waiting area of the main office announces that “[i]t’s okay to pray.”
The ACLU says that staff members “routinely lead students in Christian prayer” and teachers have been known to distribute religious literature like the bible readings contained in Truth for Youth” literature which denounce evolution, birth control and other evil influences in society. The lawsuit also alleges that Sabine Parish superintendent Sara Ebarb asked the family about whether they could “change” their boy’s religious beliefs and whether it might the better to enroll in a school some 25 miles down the road where “there are more Asians.”
The ACLU filing highlights the alleged conduct of social studies teacher and Defendant Rita
Roark:
Roark also routinely requires students to provide written professions of faith on science exams and other tests and assignments. Verif. Compl. ¶ 30. The required religious professions have typically consisted of fill-in-the-blank Bible verses or religious affirmations as test questions. Id. On one occasion, the final question on an exam presented students with the following fill-in-the-blank question: “ISN’T IT AMAZING WHAT THE _____________ HAS MADE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
Having been raised a Buddhist, C.C. did not know the expected answer and left the question blank. Id. ¶ 32. Roark marked it incorrect, wrote “LORD” in the blank in red ink, and returned the test to C.C. Id., Ex. A. She also scolded C.C., with the entire class listening, for not writing in the correct answer. Id. C.C.’s sister, who is also in Roark’s class, jumped to her brother’s defense, explaining that C.C. is a Buddhist and does not believe in God. Id. Roark returned to her desk, at which point a student remarked that “you’re stupid if you don’t believe in
God.” Roark looked up and shook her head “yes” in affirmation of the student’s remark. Id.
Roark is accused of making fun of the answer again in front of the class and agreeing with another student calling the failure to believe in God to be “stupid.”
The family alleges that when they complained about such incidents that they were told that they live “in the Bible Belt.”
The lawsuit gives other incredible details and returns to the conduct of Roark:
Roark continues to promote her religious beliefs to her students, including C.C.’s sister, during science class and at other times. Id. ¶ 43. In recent months, she has repeatedly instructed students that evolution is not valid as a scientific theory and that God made the world 6,000 years ago. Id. ¶ 44. She demands that students write either a Bible verse or “Isn’t it amazing what the Lord has made” at the bottom of exams if they want extra credit. Id. ¶ 45. Roark writes “Yes!” next to the verse or religious affirmation and awards students five additional points when they comply with this mandate. Id. In addition, in social studies class, Roark presents Biblical accounts of persons, places, and events as fact. Id. ¶ 46. For example, on a handout asking, “What mountain did Moses supposedly get the Ten Commandments from,” Roark crossed out the word “supposedly.” Id. She also has told students that the Bible is “100% true” and that “scientists are slowly finding out that everything in the Bible is accurate.” Id.
The school district has responded by “”The Sabine Parish School Board has only recently been made aware of the lawsuit filed by the ACLU. A lawsuit only represents one side’s allegations, and the board is disappointed that the ACLU chose to file suit without even contacting it regarding the facts.” That is pretty tepid. Given some of these allegations, I would have preferred an immediate statement saying “of course these are ridiculous allegations. We are not a school district in Bora Bora. Geez.”
If even a fraction of these allegations are true, the district is looking at major liability in this litigation. While the district says it would have liked more time, these are open and egregious violations. This may be “the Bible belt” as the parents were allegedly informed, but it is also part of the United States and subject to basic constitutional limitations under the First Amendment.
You can get the documents from the ACLU at this site.
Female Bieber bullies wielding prisms are the worst thing there is in this world!
Imagine…we gals were just having a little fun and we get called bullies.
Maybe someone shouldn’t mischaracterize how other people look at issues/the world.
The NY Daily News had a big headline about your guy, Richard Sherman. It was THE MOUTH THAT BORED. He was interviewed and on his best behavior. You see, his teammates and coaches sat him down. They let your hero know his behavior has been unacceptable. These people, black and white, told this intelligent black man that he needs to put his ego and desire to be rich aside, and be a team player. This is the biggest game of THEIR lives and he cannot screw that up. I now have a little bit of respect for your main man. Hopefully he keeps it up.
Female bullies, kinda like a Bieber thug.
We have Tammy in the Senate and Mark Pocan in the House, both wonderful people, both gay. One day Wisconsin may turn a good solid blue again, one can only hope.
There are a few women who can bust balls and talk trash, but you folks need some lessons.
There is a punk ass thug college basketball player @ Ole Miss who trash talks and rants like Richard Sherman. His name is Marshall Henderson. He is the kinda player you like to slap like Trent Williams did your hero, Richard Sherman. As this thug was prancing and trash talking past the Miss. State bench on Saturday, their coach yelled “F@ck you” at this thug. The kid had it coming, but the opposing coach has apologized. I absolve the coach of any sin but the college coach realized he just can’t do that, it’s unacceptable. The thug is white and the classy coach is black.
Wisconsin is purple these days. it has Scott Walker and Johnson, but it also has Tammy Baldwin. 🙂
annie,
You want a blue state prism or a red state prism?
Elaine M, Trying to look at things from a pro civil rights prism. I guess if one is a white straight male that has a gun permit and does not care about women that need healthcare, the right to vote, the right to marry whom one chooses, and the constitutional right to go to a public school that does not teach religion then red state living is just fine. Ten years or even 5 years ago the differences were not as stark.
Yeah, where do ya get them there prisms? If you see things through prisms, does that make you prismers? Prismers of Zelda! LOL, my iPad corrected Zenda to Zelda. One just has to laugh.
swarthmoremom,
That should have been “quit” not “quick.” You see, I made that spelling mistake because I was typing while looking at the keyboard through a prism.
swarthmoremom,
Crikey! Quick looking at things through that partisan prism of yours, will ya?
😉
SWM, I do understand your point. But, you must understand it is through the prism you view the world. I have lived in red and blue states and b!tched about both, since I am neither red or blue, although I know some folks here find that hard to believe. My red friends think I’m blue and vice versa. Again, it’s that prism. When I was seeing double after an orbital bone fracture I had to wear prisms like those Mr. MaGoo glasses your girl Hillary was wearing. In my case, since my lens was distorted, the prisms were a positive. However, otherwise they distort your view and make it difficult to see.
This is certainly one of those cases where the federal courts are the best venue. A local judge is going to be very suspect in whether it can be objective.
Plus, I wouldn’t want the school to waste time teaching religion when there is so much more to learn. For religious teaching, I would rather my children attend the United Methodist church and not what someone else dictated. So I can certainly identify with the plaintiffs in this case.
Perhaps everyone could shower the superintendent with mail and gifts in the form of copies of the US Constitution or printouts of relevant sections. Printouts of federal court decisions regarding separation of church and state are thoughtful gifts as well. Historians among us are especially qualified to point out the thinking of many of the framers of the Constitution. Or perhaps a simple postcard will do. You can quote that bit about the establishment clause…
Send all respectful and loving communications to:
Superintendent Sara Ebarb
Sabine Parish School District
PO Box 1079
Many, LA 71449
One more idea– small maps of the United States. Show her that nowhere on the map is a geographically or institutionally or legally designated area known as The Bible Belt. Social & cultural designation? Yes…but it’s not recognized as a legal entity. And I’m not even a lawyer……just a little ol’ Liberal Arts bachelor’s degree.
Swarthmore Mom– It occurs to me that the voter ID problem is quite simple. Students at all of the universities in Texas should start a campaign to get a carry permit for ALL students. Problem solved! No one said you actually had to get a gun or carry one. That’s tongue-in-cheek…but one wonders what would happen if students engaged in a bit of humorous subversion of the darker forces in TX politics.
randyjet,
Let’s not forget about the principal and the superintendent. This wouldn’t have gone on in the school if they had not allowed it.
annie, Austin is a blue bubble, but in the end one still resides in the state of Texas where a student ID is not an acceptable form of identification for voting purposes but a gun carry permit is.
Here’s a thoughtful, well written article by the child’s stepfather:
https://www.aclu.org/blog/religion-belief/if-you-want-fit-public-school-just-become-christian
It is time to revoke the teaching credentials of these teachers. That needs to be part of the suit if they can do that. Absent that, a separate complaint needs to be made to the state board of Ed. and make sure that the so called science teacher loses his/her job for good.
Ah yes, Texas, that bastion of limited government loving hypocrites. Would it be such a bad thing if they seceded? I have some liberal friends in Austin who I invited to come to Wisconsin as refugees if Texas ever seceded, unfortunately with our own right wing state government, it’s no longer a refuge.