Written by Don Byrd
Via Religion Clause, the ACLU of Louisiana announced a new lawsuit yesterday alleging widespread proselytization and promotion of Christianity in a public school. The Thai plaintiff and her son, a 6th-grade student at the school, are Buddhists. Their claims depict a brazen disregard for the separation of church and state and a general culture of harassment, in which prayers are regularly delivered at school functions, Bible verses and pictures of Christ are displayed in the hallways, and those who complain are invited to convert or to find another school.
The most heartbreaking allegations, however, involve the plaintiff student’s science class.
Associated Press reports:
The lawsuit said [Science teacher Rita] Roark has “repeatedly taught students that the earth was created by God 6,000 years ago, that evolution is ‘impossible’ and that the Bible is ‘100 percent true.’
“She also regularly features religious questions on her tests such as “Isn’t it amazing what the ______ has made!!!!”
When the Lanes’ son “did not write in Roark’s expected answer (LORD), she belittled him in front of the rest of the class.”
Importantly, these are only allegations, and the School Board has yet to respond, so stay tuned for the other side of the story. You can read the complaint (pdf) here.
