Suit Challenges Academic Credit For Released Time Religious Instruction

In Spartanburg, South Carolina, parents of two high schoolers and the Freedom from Religion Foundation (FFRF) have filed suit in federal court challenging the constitutionality of Spartanburg High School's offering academic credit for religious released-time instruction. The complaint (full text) in Moss v. Spartanburg County School District ) No. 7, (D SC, filed 6/17/2009), alleges that the school's implementation of its Released Time for Religious Instruction Policy, adopted pursuant to South Carolina's 2006 Released Time Credit Act, violates the Establishment Clause. The statute provides that in awarding academic credit, the course must meet the same secular criteria used for awarding transfer credit. The complaint alleges that the course offered to students-- taught by a private group, the South Carolina Bible Education in School Time-- is evangelical, sectarian and proselytizing in its content. FFRF yesterday issued a press release announcing the filing of the lawsuit.