Legal Clips, [May 2007]The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and People for the American Way Foundation (PFAW) have filed a federal lawsuit against Ector County Independent School District (ECISD) in Odessa, Texas, on behalf of eight parents who say a Bible course violates their religious liberty. “Religion is very important in my family and we are very involved in our religious community,” says Doug Hildebrand, a Presbyterian deacon who is among the plaintiffs. “But the public schools are no place for religious indoctrination that promotes certain beliefs that not all the kids in the school share.” ECISD’s school board approved the high school elective in 2005. The course relies on the King James version of the Bible as the textbook with supplemental material produced by the National Council on Bible Curriculum in Public Schools (NCBCPS). Backers of the National Council include David Barton, who operates a Web site that promotes helping local officials develop policies that reflect Biblical views and encourages Christian involvement in civic affairs. Other supporters of the program include the conservative American Family Association, Eagle Forum and Plano-based Liberty Legal Institute (LLI). “There is no question that these Bible electives are constitutional,” says Kelly Shackelford, LLI’s chief counsel. “The United States Supreme Court has stated more than once that teaching about the Bible is not only constitutional, but essential to a quality education. This lawsuit is a loser.” Critics claim the coursework contains errors, dubious research, and blatantly favors a fundamentalist, Protestant view of the Bible.
Boston Globe
By Matt Curry (Associated Press)
[Full story] 5/16/2007
[Editor’s Note: For background on the controversy and the curriculum in question, see below.]
[NSBA School Law pages on Bible course controversy]