This is perhaps the sound of the next crucifix-emblazoned jackboot dropping:
Saturday August 27, 2005 7:16 PM
LOS ANGELES (AP) - A group representing California religious schools has filed a lawsuit accusing the University of California system of discriminating against high schools that teach creationism and other conservative Christian viewpoints.
The
Guardian and the
Seattle Post-Intelligencer have picked up the story so far.
The Association of Christian Schools International, which represents more than 800 schools, filed a federal lawsuit Thursday claiming UC admissions officials have refused to certify high school science courses that use textbooks challenging Darwin's theory of evolution.
Wendell E. Bird, a lawyer for the association, said the policy violates the rights of students and religious schools.
``A threat to one religion is a threat to all,'' he said.
The University, of course, correctly maintains that it has the right to set course requirements "to ensure that students who come here are fully prepared with broad knowledge and the critical thinking skills necessary to succeed", as per spokeswoman Ravi Poorsina.
Although UC has not yet been formally served, progress of this should be interesting - getting into all sorts of questions about public funding, etc. Other than to restate the fact that folks like the ASCI continue to both disgust and scare me, I'm speechless. Can't even come up with a snarky poll at the moment. So I guess this is mostly an FYI.