Posted on 12/18/2007 7:32:51 AM PST by fweingart
A teacher in a California public school district is being sued for allegedly making derogatory comments about the Christian faith during class time.
Chad Farnan is a student in Dr. James Corbett's advanced placement European history class at Capistrano Valley High School. Farnan claims he was alarmed when, on the first day of school, Corbett said the United States was not founded on Judeo-Christian principles.
Farnan began recording the instructor's comments, and eventually let his mother listen to them. After hearing the recordings, she contacted Advocates for Faith and Freedom (AFF). Now, a federal lawsuit has been filed accusing Dr. Corbett of violating the constitutional rights of students.
According to Jennifer Monk, an attorney with AFF, the high school teacher -- in at least one instance -- subjected his students to his anti-Christian comments for a substantial portion of the class period.
"In the complaint, we allege just one day's worth of comments," the attorney explains. "And in that one day ... for about 20 minutes to half an hour, [he] spoke about different current events and [used] many derogatory comments toward Christianity and conservatives."
Monk quotes Corbett as stating on one occasion that "when you put your Jesus glasses on, you can't see the truth." Dr. Corbett is also accused of making derogatory comments about Christian viewpoints regarding homosexuality, birth control, and the sexual activities of teenagers.
Monk detects an inconsistency in how the principle of freedom of expression is being applied in this case. "Currently Christians aren't allowed to express their faith, [and] teachers aren't allowed to express their faith in the classrooms to their students or talk about it openly," she points out.
"So at the very minimum," Monk argues, "they should not be allowing teachers to express the exact opposite in this fashion for 20 minutes in the middle of the class in such a way that they are essentially no longer teaching the course that they are being paid to teach."
Students come to class to learn, says an AFF press release, and "not to be forced to listen to the personal, demoralizing rantings of their teacher."
Comments:
Dr. Corbett seems to be preaching his faith. I sounds like he isn't even trying to mask it as European history. If Dr. Corbett is unable to recognize the see the Judeo-Christian principles of the founding of the United States of America, he has not read the Constitution. The framers of the Constituion did not push any particular fiath, but the Judeo=Christian principles are very clear. Since he is obviously rewriting American history, what is he doing with European history? Are his students getting the education he is being paid to provide?
Glad to hear someone is going on the offensive for our faith, we must fight the good fight, God has not called us to be complacent or weak.
On a positive note, way to go Chad! I think it's wonderful when our teens stand up for their faith. My daughter fought her teachers viewpoints regarding evolution when she was 15 quoting facts from her copy of "A Case for Faith" she had in her bookbag. I find Christian students are the minority in the public school system, or at least seem to be when it's time to stand up and be counted.
In a country that was definitely founded on Judeo-Christian values and is supposedly made up of 85% Christians, why do we seem to be having such a hard time with these secular- progressive wack jobs. Lets all unite and put a total stop to this garbage.
Dr. Corbett does not make these remarks against any other religion. Why is he allowed to denigrate Christians in America? If we Christians want to prevent this kind of attack from occuring, we need to unite with one voice and say we are not going to take it any more.
Dr. Corbett apparently has the support of the school district as the pupil and his parents have probably already discovered. This young man has an uphill battle. Were other families willing to support this family in this situation, the school could be persuaded to modify their procedures. Unless this kind of support occurs across our nation, the public educational system will continue to erode.
This kind of anti-Christian bias is probably much more common at the University level, and again, should be challenged. Challenge can take place at the legal level, but even moreso, students can question their teachers, and be equipped to challenge them. The real battle in the classroom is for the minds and hearts of students. When one of their own stands up to teachers -- even seeming to lose arguments -- students will often sympathize with a fellow student. We need to equip our students well.
I can see why this teacher teaches on European History...He seems to be clueless as to American History!
They had the kid on BOR last night with his attorney. They played the kids tape recordings. Amazing. I don’t think I could have kept my composure sitting in that classroom listening to this moron of a “teacher” rant on and on and on...
Apparently this teacher spends the first 20 minutes of each class ranting anti-Christian garbage.
What the hell happened to teaching Readin, Rite_in, and Rithmetic...LOL?
Why is a PhD teaching high school? Corbett is really putting that expensive education to good use!
Lapsus Calami!
Corbett is one of a legion of educated imbeciles.
Editorializing, and worse, politicization in the classroom is clearly misconduct. Tenure does not protect a public school teacher from charges of misconduct.
I don’t understand the basis of the lawsuit. The kid’s parent’s should concentrate on getting the teacher fired and removed from the classroom.
I suppose his next step will be to edify the likes of Murray in Colorado so his minds full of mush will march into churches and shoot those nasty Christians. This teacher should be fired, but I bet he’s got tenure and will be impossible to fire him..the anti Christian rants continue so say goodbye to freedom of thought.
I hope the lawsuit is sucessful.
So, let me see if I get this right.
If a Christian teacher stands up and gives a pro-Christian rant, that would be un-Constitutional (because it is a government “establishing a religion”), and he/she would thus be fired from his/her job.
But if an atheist (or other religion) teacher stands up and gives an anti-Christian rant, that would not be un-Constitutional (because it would not be “restricting the free exercise thereof”), and he/she would not have to fear for his/her job.
It would seem that if the 1st amendment can be used as a hammer to keep pro-Christian rants out of the classroom (from a teacher/administrator), then the 1st amendment can likewise be used to keep anti-Christian rants out of the classroom.
“Why is a PhD teaching high school?”
Those who can...do.
Those who can’t...teach.
and apparently this bigot has been around for 19 years!
and we wonder why the country has gone to hell in a hand basket for the past 40 years with Leftists like this in our schools & universities indoctrinating our children with anti-Christian, anti-American propaganda!
Who says Communism is dead.
“Liberalism is just Communism sold by the drink.”
P.J.O’Rourke
And some to this day wonder why home schooling is becoming the new ‘norm’?
It’s sad where this country is going. I don’t agree with the merits of the lawsuit at all, however it is what unfortunately must be done. If liberals want to purge all signs of Christianity out of the schools in the name of some fictitious Constitutional requirement of religious neutrality, then this suit is an appropriate response. But the proper outcome, which it won’t be, it to put a stake in the heart of the idea that our government must be completely neutral towards religion.
“Those who can...do.
Those who can’t...teach.”
And those who can’t teach..........
teach teachers.
What the hell happened to teaching Readin, Rite_in, and Rithmetic...?
Agreed...& how about...respect, responsibility & restitution?
All gone with the good, old fashioned teachers, I guess.
Sad.
Capistrano Valley High School Principal’s email
tressler@capousd.org
“Those who can...do.
Those who can’t...teach.”
And those who can’t teach..........
teach teachers.”
___________________________________________________________
I’d have to respectfully disagree. I’ve had several outstanding teachers throughout my schooling..I’d like to thank:
Mr Schmall 7-8th grade teacher, taught me what being orderly and well disciplined can do to actually make “life” easier.
Mr Obejeski Freshman and sophomore science teacher... fantastic teacher...made Science a blast to learn.
...and a few in Tech College who took the time and effort to make Physics, Trig and Calc a bit more easily digestible by this persons mind. Forgive me for not remembering your names...it was years ago...but people like you held the bar very high re: Teaching.
Thank you.
ping
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