Categories: Eye on SJC
      Date: Dec 21, 2007
     Title: Lawsuit Accuses Teacher of Being Anti-Christian
From: Vol. 5, Issue 38, December 21, 2007-January 3, 2008

By Jonathan Volzke
The Capistrano Dispatch

Students rally in rain for accused Capo Valley High School instructor

More than 300 students gathered at Capistrano Valley High School an hour before classes on December 19 for a sign-waving, horn-honking show of support for a teacher accused in a federal lawsuit of criticizing Christianity and violating students’ rights.

Chad Farnan, 16, is suing the Capistrano Unified School District  for comments made this fall by advanced placement European history teacher James Corbett, comments that Farnan’s legal team says violate his constitutional rights to worship without governmental prejudice.

“The blatant disregard for relevant topics of what can and should be discussed in a high school history class goes beyond moral reasoning,” Farnan’s attorney, Robert Tyler of the Murrieta-based Advocates for Faith and Freedom, said in a prepared statement. “Students come to class to learn, not to be forced to listen to the personal, demoralizing rantings of their teacher.”

Another Farnan attorney, Jennifer Monk, said, “The constitutional rights of the students have been and are compromised each day they go to class.” Dr. Corbett’s statements in the classroom—and the district’s continued employment of Dr. Corbett—convey a governmental message that students holding religious beliefs are outsiders and not full members of the community. This hostility toward religion is a violation of the Establishment Clause.”

Farnan recorded Corbett’s lessons, and a segment of those recordings was heard on the O’Reilly Factor on Fox News on December 17. “How do you get the peasants to oppose something that is in their best interest?” says a voice identified as Corbett’s. “Religion. You have to have something that is irrational to counter that rational approach…When you put on your Jesus glasses, you can’t see the truth. Conservatives don’t want women to avoid pregnancies. That’s interfering with God’s work. You got to stay pregnant, barefoot and in the kitchen and have babies until your body collapses.”

School Principal Tom Ressler declined direct comment on the lawsuit. “I care very deeply for the student who raised the issue,” he said. “In fairness we need to let the process take its course. I’m not interested in a public debate.” CUSD spokesperson Beverly De Nicola announced in a statement recently that the district is planning an internal review of the issue.

“Our understanding is that Mr. Corbett did not know he was being taped,” said Jeff Bristow, the district’s director for risk management and compliance. Bristow also said the district has yet to receive the tapes recorded by Farnan, nor been served with the lawsuit as of December 19. Students were quick to rise to Corbett’s defense. Gianna DeCaro of Capistrano, now studying at Harvard, said Corbett was a phenomenal teacher. “He encouraged critical thinking about any topic that was controversial,” DeCaro said. “I’m here to support
Mr. Corbett and to support critical thinking.”

Dani Peeler of San Clemente was one of the nearly 300 students who gathered in a light drizzle to rally in support of the teacher. Peeler arrived with Katie Weirath of San Juan Capistrano, who wore a T-shirt reading “I Love Jesus. Jesus Loves You” with the “you” crossed out and “Dr. Corbett” written in. Another friend wore a T-shirt that read, “The mind is like a parachute. It works best when open.”

“We’re here to support Dr. Corbett, not to bash Chad,” said Peeler, adding the topic was fueling debate all over campus. “The whole thing is stupid, and we want it to end.”
Many of the protesters were alumni of the school and even a few parents.

“It is important to teach people to think critically and question religion and government,” said San Juan Capistrano resident Eva Crabbs, whose son Robert graduated from Capistrano Valley High in 2005 and is now studying at UC Berkeley, while another son Mike is due to graduate this year. “If we don’t question authority, we don’t have democracy.”

See the complaint here.