Religious Hostility Case Heads to the 9th Circuit

Advocates for Faith & Freedom reports that the case against a teacher who denounced creationism as "religious, superstitious nonsense" is headed to the 9th Circuit Federal Court of Appeals. A lower court found thatDr. James Corbett had violated the Establishment clausewith these and other statements critical of religion. One of Corbett's Advanced Placement students, Chad Farnan, filed the suit after tiring of his teacher's disregard for religion. On May 1, 2009, District Judge James V. Selnaagreed, saying that Corbett's statement "constitutes improper disapproval of religion in violation of the Establishment Clause." This case recognizes that far too often the Establishment Clause is invoked when there is a perceived promotion of religion by a governmental actor, but is not applied with equal force where a government actor like Dr. Corbett shows disapproval of religion.