Demand Letter Lays Down the Law for School Officials in Golden State
by Jim Brown and Jody Brown
August 24, 2004
(AgapePress) - A religious freedom group is sending a legal demand letter to every superintendent and school board member in the state of California explaining they must have respect for parental rights and students' religious freedoms.
The demand letter from the Pacific Justice Institute warns school districts not to violate the rights of students to pray, share their faith, and ready their Bibles on campus. It also notifies schools of parents' rights to opt their children out of pro-homosexual instruction or other "tolerance" issue-based curriculum.
PJI president Brad Dacus says school boards and school districts need to be kept in check.
"Schools in California in particular have deviated far from the trust of the average parent," the attorney says, "and it's critical that there be some counterbalance to the pressures they're receiving to show films and adopt policies that are hostile and antagonistic and censoring of religious students."
Brad Dacus | |
Dacus explains that the letter -- which he describes as "one of our most ambitious projects ever" -- not only explains the law, but also states the ramifications of violating the law, including potential liabilities and costly litigation. For example, it warns that failure to allow Christian clubs to put up posters and hold rallies on campus could lead to potential litigation.PJI's reputation as an uncompromising litigator evidently is getting around to schools in the state. Dacus says he was told by a "friendly" superintendent in July how school district leaders had been "warned" about his firm's aggressive nature in defending parents rights against public schools.
"Our main goal [in sending out the letter] is for [schools] to seriously hesitate and not to act on recommendations by the teachers union that would trounce upon the values and convictions of the typical family in California," Dacus shares.
Other topics addressed in the letter explain the rights of school boards to prohibit students from leaving campus to have an abortion without their parents receiving prior notice, as well as the right of students to celebrate religious holidays like Christmas and Easter on campus.
Dacus says he is hopeful the letter will prevent thousands of Christian students from being subjected to outright discrimination. He also believes the letter will have a positive economic effect, potentially saving both his legal firm and taxpayers large amounts of money by preventing costly lawsuits.
