Student Sues Teacher For Anti-Christian Remarks

Will it really make a difference?

from JoeUser Forums
Here's a news story today from Focus on the Family. We had similar experiences in our HS but didn't go the suit route. I'm not so sure from a Christian POV that's something we should be doing but I can totally understand the frustration. I think most Christians feel as we do. It's not like we haven't been warned. Otherwise the courts would be very crowded with cases such as this.


A San Juan Capistrano, Calif., high school student and his parents filed a federal lawsuit this week, alleging his history teacher violated his constitutional rights by making "highly inappropriate" and offensive statements in class regarding Christianity, the Los Angeles Times reported.

James Corbett, who teaches Advanced Placement European history at Capistrano Valley High School, consistently "demonstrates a sense of hostility toward religion," according to the lawsuit.

The suit, which asks that Corbett be removed from the classroom, contends he told students during class that "when you put on your Jesus glasses, you can't see the truth"; said religion is not "connected with morality"; compared Christians to "Muslim fundamentalists"; and suggested churchgoers are more likely to commit rape and murder.

Bruce Hausknecht, judicial analyst for Focus on the Family Action, said: "It's a sad fact that those who complain the loudest about any mention of Christianity or religion in public settings are also the first to hide behind the First Amendment to slander faith, morality and country, and indoctrinate our children with repulsive ideas under the ridiculous guise of 'education.'

"This teacher's classroom tirades belong on a personal blog that only he and his mother will read, not masquerading as curriculum in front of impressionable teens."

"
4,442 views 32 replies
Reply #1 from JoeUser Forums Top
I'm betting that the ACLU is supporting the teacher
Reply #2 from JoeUser Forums Top
This is a spurious lawsuit, and part of what's wrong with America. Where were the student's rights violated? The right not to be offended does not exist in the Constitution.

I know you're just reporting this one, KFC, but here's my take. If my children were in this classroom, I would pull them from the school and make sure administration knew why. But as appalling as this man's speech was, he has a right to it until/unless the school chooses to act. And if enough parents pull their children, believe me, the school will act.

I'm wondering where the church went from the point where Christ told us to expect persecution to feeling that we deserve remuneration for being offended.
Ashes of the Singularity II
Reply #3 from JoeUser Forums Top
I'm wondering where the church went from the point where Christ told us to expect persecution to feeling that we deserve remuneration for being offended.


Bingo. I thought you were supposed to defend the faith, not pay attorneys to defend your face.
Reply #4 from JoeUser Forums Top
This is a spurious lawsuit, and part of what's wrong with America. Where were the student's rights violated? The right not to be offended does not exist in the Constitution.
End of quote


the right of seperation of church and state.


the teacher was promoting non religion over religion(christianity)


the kid got a tape of what the teacher said. it was played on bill oreilly.

the teacher was stomping on religion and mentioned christians as an example.

and according to the student the teacher does this everyday in class for thirty minutes.
Reply #5 from JoeUser Forums Top
I'm wondering where the church went from the point where Christ told us to expect persecution to feeling that we deserve remuneration for being offended.


Bingo. I thought you were supposed to defend the faith, not pay attorneys to defend your face.
End of quote




sometimes you have to fight back. as christ did at the temple.


but your right about the money part of it.
Reply #6 from JoeUser Forums Top
This is a spurious lawsuit, and part of what's wrong with America. Where were the student's rights violated?


Bingo. I thought you were supposed to defend the faith, not pay attorneys to defend your face


Amazing !!!!

A history teacher .... TEACHER .... teaches students that " churchgoers are more likely to commit rape and murder" and he has the right to do that? is that "History"?

what if another teacher was teaching them that Christians are more likely to be honest and good than others? is that ok too?

Are you guys for real and serious?????

are these some kind of sarcastic comments? i sure hope so.

A teacher attacking a religion on Gov property is not an offense while one promoting a religion on Gov property is?
Reply #7 from JoeUser Forums Top
I'm betting that the ACLU is supporting the teacher
End of quote


not at the moment.

in the meantime check out 'advocates for faith and freedom' website (actually there's only one advocate so i'm not sure why the plural form). too bad he's not based in the uk cuz he's definitely a solicitor--as evidenced by the very prominent solicitations for donations that jump off the page at visitors.

clearly he's bettin faith n freedom are gonna be berry berry good for him.
Reply #8 from JoeUser Forums Top
I agree, it's a sad day when teachers feel like it's their job to "save" students from their religious ways.

While the child shouldn't have to sit there for a half hour a day and take that kind of crap from the teacher, I'm wondering a few things. Did the student talk to the teacher about it? Did the parents? Did they talk to the principal? In other words, did they try to work with the teacher and school before bringing lawyers into it?

If the teacher has an agenda other than teaching history, that needs to be addressed. However, the courts are the absolute last place this situation belongs.
Reply #9 from JoeUser Forums Top
contends he told students during class that "when you put on your Jesus glasses, you can't see the truth";
End of quote


according to another student at the school:

"The quotes are taken out of context. For example when he said "take off your Jesus glasses" he was in the middle of a lecture connecting the fact the monarchies blinded their citizens from confronting injustices with the the church and religion."

sounds revolutionary to me. american revolutionary, that is.
Reply #10 from JoeUser Forums Top
Did the student talk to the teacher about it?
End of quote


no

Did the parents? Did they talk to the principal?
End of quote


no but other parents have
Reply #11 from JoeUser Forums Top
"The quotes are taken out of context. For example when he said "take off your Jesus glasses" he was in the middle of a lecture connecting the fact the monarchies blinded their citizens from confronting injustices with the the church and religion."
End of quote




this is a teacher in a high school in california. telling his current students to take off the jesus glasses.

sorry i mis the point of this being about church and state blinding people. or why he has to do this for 30 minutes a day.

he had better be glad i wasn't in his class i wouldn't have used a tape recorder i would have been in the principals office changing classes or in the hallway protesting.
Reply #12 from JoeUser Forums Top
Did the student talk to the teacher about it? Did the parents? Did they talk to the principal? In other words, did they try to work with the teacher and school before bringing lawyers into it?
End of quote


according to the la times:

"Teresa Farnan said her suspicions were aroused on the first day of school when her son -- a sophomore honors student required to take Corbett's class for college admission -- asked her whether America was founded on Christian values, which he said his teacher had denied.

"He had learned in the eighth grade that our country was founded by persecuted Christians," said the mother, who describes her family as nondenominational Christian, "so I sent him to school with a tape recorder."

During the next two months, Chad Farnan said, he taped Corbett's lectures with the recorder in plain sight on his backpack.

"I'm not sure whether he saw me," the student said. "He's against Christianity and bashes it all the time. He's been indoctrinating us and not teaching the class; we don't need to be hearing his political views during school time when we should be learning."

first off, mom is either confused or tweaking the truth. the class is a voluntary advanced placement course.

secondly, the kid shoulda paid more attention in eighth grade. while the pilgrims may have come to the new world to escape persecution, they weren't the country's founders. which of the founding fathers was persecuted for being christian? i can think of several who seemed more than a lil concerned about the consequences of proclaiming themselves non-christians.
Reply #13 from JoeUser Forums Top
sorry i mis the point of this being about church and state blinding people. or why he has to do this for 30 minutes a day.
End of quote


it was part of a single lecture according to that other student--not 30 minutes a day.

i don't doubt for a second you miss the point. nothin new there.

perhaps it'll become a bit more evident if you were to spend a lil time researching 'divine right' + 'monarchy' in wikipedia.
Reply #14 from JoeUser Forums Top
he had better be glad i wasn't in his class
End of quote


100% of advanced placement course instructors are undoubtably glad you weren't in their classes.

not that there was any chance of it happening.
Reply #15 from JoeUser Forums Top
most of the groups to leave england left because they were not worshiping the right brand of christianity.


so all/most of the 13 colonies were set up for the different brands of christianity to live with their own.


Reply #16 from JoeUser Forums Top
as for kingbees assertion



the only faith being thrust down anyones throat in the united states right now is non-religion.


now kingbee will counter that non-religion is not a religion. but it is the faith that there is no god.
Reply #17 from JoeUser Forums Top
Are you guys for real and serious?????
End of quote


You apparently missed the part where I said parents should pull their kids from their classroom.

No matter. I'm used to poor reading comprehension on my posts.

The point is that the student is claiming his Constitutional rights were violated. HIS CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS WERE NEVER VIOLATED! Yes, the teacher was a jerkhole, but he never violated the rights of the students.

And incidentally, "separation of church and state" appears nowhere in the Constitution.

The reaction of the parents is just more of the "play the victim" mentality. Assuming the Tim LaHaye version of eschatology to be true, what are these "Christian" parents going to do when the AntiChrist appears? Line up, get their numbers, and then SUE to have them removed?
Reply #18 from JoeUser Forums Top

The article is one thing, but to see the posters - knowing their political leanings - line up on this one is even more interesting!

I will add a but to Gideons.  The material is offensive, but not a court case.  It should be settled between parents and administrators (but that supposes the administrators have brains which is fodder for another blog). The Parents should not HAVE to pull their students.  Teachers should be taught to teach the material.  Sadly, that does not appear to be the main purpose of many (not all for our great teachers here at JU and their peers) teachers today.  They probably got their lesson plan from the same place the administrators got their brains - the Wizard of Oz's bag of tricks.

Reply #19 from JoeUser Forums Top
"separation of church and state"
End of quote


your right but


the government shall not support one religion over another.


and again in my eyes non religion is a religion.
Reply #20 from JoeUser Forums Top
the teachers union in utah said that they would have no problem with hitler teaching there. even knowing what they know about him now.
Reply #21 from JoeUser Forums Top
the government shall not support one religion over another.
End of quote


Close, but no cigar,

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof".

Was this teacher a Congressman? And did he propose a law prohibiting the free exercise of religion? If he did, I misspoke.

We agree that this teacher is a shameful example of the teaching profession. We disagree that Constitutional rights were violated.
Reply #22 from JoeUser Forums Top
Teachers should be taught to teach the material.
End of quote


According to Kingbee's article, he WAS teaching the material. It's a fact that most monarchs used the idea of "divine right to rule" to screw up their entire countries and economies, bringing devastation to the populace that was defended in the name of religion, because "Jesus had chosen them as king".

In context, as it seems most of the students (with the exception of this "victim"), the teacher IS teaching history.
Reply #23 from JoeUser Forums Top
Assuming the Tim LaHaye version of eschatology to be true, what are these "Christian" parents going to do when the AntiChrist appears? Line up, get their numbers, and then SUE to have them removed?
End of quote


No, Gid, because they'll be in the clouds, singing and playing harps, 'cuz they done been raptured . . . ;)
Reply #24 from JoeUser Forums Top
We disagree that Constitutional rights were violated.
End of quote


sorry i was just using the SAME arguement that the other side uses
Reply #25 from JoeUser Forums Top
Bingo. I thought you were supposed to defend the faith, not pay attorneys to defend your face


Wow SC. We're in agreement here. I actually agree with you on this one.

When I first read this article I thought of the spot Christ was in when they were mocking him, spitting at him, making fun of his religious belief and yet he "opened not his mouth."

He didn't defend himself. He took it. He could have blown them away with his breath alone.

He was the perfect example of what we should be. Meek. I'm not saying weak mind you, but meek. It's strength under control. His example is still applicable for us today. When a Christian goes to court seeking damages, that will be their reward. Oh so much better when we seek God's ways and not man's ways. God said thru Paul...."vengeance is mine." We are not to take vengeance and that's what I see happening here with this lawsuit.

So as a Christian, as I said, while I understand the frustration I disagree with the method of dealing with it.

We, too had a teacher that was giving the Christians in his class some grief (including my son) and we dealt with it thru the system resulting in the loss of his job. He was not on the payroll the following semester. I'm sure that young teacher in our district learned his lesson.