Yesterday the U.S. Supreme Court denied certiorari in Nampa Classical Academy v. Goesling, (Docket No. 11-786, cert. denied 3/26/2012). (Order List). In the case, the 9th Circuit upheld Idaho's decision to bar publicly funded charter schools from using religious texts in the classroom, even for teaching of secular subjects. The 9th Circuit held that the First Amendment’s speech clause does not give charter school teachers, students, or parents a right to have such texts included as part of the school curriculum. (See prior posting.) KBOI2 reports on the Supreme Court's denial of review.
The Supreme Court also denied review in Johnson v. Poway Unified School District, (Docket No. 11-910, cert. denied 3/26/2012). (Order List). In the case, the 9th Circuit rejected claims by a high school calculus teacher that his California school district violated his free speech rights, as well as the Establishment Clause and Equal Protection clause, when it required him to remove large banners he had posted in his classroom that carried historic and patriotic slogans, all mentioning God or the Creator. (See prior posting.)
