FFRF stops mandatory quasi-religious assignment (September 2023)

FFRF took action when a high school band teacher assigned mandatory homework that discussed sex from a religious perspective.

A concerned parent informed FFRF of the assignment, which included statements such as ā€œvirginity is a virtueā€ and ā€œYou must be mature enough to provide those boundaries or it will hurt you.ā€ The complainant reported that the entire class was disturbed by this religious assignment and many students refused to do it. The teacher then made the assignment mandatory.

ā€œThis plainly religious lesson is inappropriate and unconstitutional in a public school, and your teachers should know better,ā€ FFRF Staff Attorney Chris Line wrote to Superintendent Daniel Hamada.

Hamada replied, ā€œAt the time that Principal [Mahina] Anguay was made aware of the assignment, only one class had been exposed to the lesson. Principal Anguay immediately pulled the teacher into her office to discuss the matter with him. The teacher admitted to providing the lesson and agreed that he should not have been teaching that content in class.ā€ Anguay immediately put a stop to the assignment.

Freedom From Religion Foundation