Administration officials in Blanchard Public Schools have “taken affirmative steps” to address a serious state-church violation in one of its schools.
A district parent reported that a science teacher at Blanchard Middle School had been attempting to discredit evolution. The complainant reported that their child was supposed to learn about evolution through an educational video. Before the lesson, the teacher told students that she is Christian and would be fast forwarding through parts of the video that she found offensive as a Christian, and that she felt would be offensive to others. She then proceeded to fast forward through large portions of the video explaining evolution. The teacher showed a second video because the first was “too offensive.” At one point during the second video, the narrator stated that evolution was a fact, at which point the teacher told students that was not true.
FFRF Attorney Chris Line wrote to Superintendent Jim Beckman, pointing out that the teacher’s attempt to undermine what she was teaching is both unconstitutional and pedagogically deplorable. Line urged the district to take appropriate disciplinary and corrective action regarding this unconstitutional conduct.
The district’s attorney responded to FFRF’s letter with assurances that administration is taking action to ensure this does not happen again.
