Posted on 02/01/2011 3:00:52 PM PST by Sopater
L.A.-area elementary school blocks religious content, tells student to pick song that ‘does not say Jesus so many times’ Tuesday, February 01, 2011
LOS ANGELES — Alliance Defense Fund attorneys filed a lawsuit Friday against Los Angeles Unified School District officials on behalf of a 5th-grade student who was prohibited from performing interpretive movement to a song at a school talent show scheduled for Feb. 4 because of the song’s religious lyrics. Students were permitted to choose the content of their performances--some approved performances include songs discussing teenage “love,” relationship problems, dancing, and violent imagery--yet Superior Street Elementary School officials refused to allow the 5th-grader’s selected song, which also discusses singing, dancing, and celebrating from a religious perspective, because it allegedly violates the so-called “separation of church and state” and is considered “offensive.”
“Christian students shouldn’t be censored at public elementary schools because of their beliefs,” said ADF Senior Counsel David Cortman. “When religious content is censored by a public school while the content of other performances discussing similar topics is allowed, we have a major violation of a student’s constitutional rights.”
Several days after the Jan. 14 audition for the annual Superior Street Elementary School Talent Show--which had no content restrictions on the songs, dances, or other talents that the elementary students were permitted to perform, the mother was told by SSES Principal Jerilyn Schubert that her child was not permitted to perform to the song “We Shine” because of its religious message, which she considered “offensive” and a violation of the “separation of church and state.”
When the concerned parent explained that the song represents her child--who selected the song and practiced for months --and not the school, and that there were no restrictions on what students could perform in the show, Schubert asserted that other students performing songs with profane and vulgar lyrics were also told to select different songs… in essence equating religious lyrics with profanity and vulgarity. Schubert went on to ask the mother why her child couldn’t “pick a song that does not say ‘Jesus’ so many times?”
The show takes place in the evening, the community is invited to attend, and students are not required to attend. Songs approved by officials for the show are “Freak the Freak Out,” focusing on relationship problems, “Shake It Up,” with the theme of dancing and celebrating, and “Eye of the Tiger,” with lyrics stating that “we kill with the skill to survive.”
Daniel R. Watkins of Newport Beach, one of nearly 1,900 attorneys in the ADF alliance, is serving as local counsel in the lawsuit B.H. v. Garcia, which was filed with the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, Western Division- Los Angeles.
Hmmm. How many times is too many?
If the kid wanted to demonstrate proper condm usage that would have been fine.
Maybe they could just “bleep” it out.
I had three Children suffer through the NJ Public School System so I know what you mean.
It would be OK if he pronounced it “hay-soos”.
If he had kinky sex on stage he would have been cheered on by every teacher and then offered a scholarship.
Yeah, yeah, we shine, we shine, with the light of God And when we speak, we speak with words of love And when we dance, we may get a little wild Cause we're the people of God, yeah, the people of God When we sing, we sing, the angel's song The ones they're singing around the throne Yeah, yeah, we worship the King with everything that we are Cause we're the people of God, yeah, the people of God And now is the time for the poeple to rise Lift up a shout, everybody cry out Raise your voice, shout out a noise And dance a dance of joy [Chorus] We are the redeemed We are the ones who are free And we belong to Jesus We are now alive And in this world we will shine Cause we belong to Jesus The spirit of God is freedom rings So come on, come on throw off your prison chains We're liberated by the King only freedom remains For the people of God, yeah, the people of God We're livin in kingdom that will never end We're livin in the power that defeated sin So come on everybody let your praise begin Cause Jesus is alive and he's comin again And now is the time for the poeple to rise Lift up a shout, everybody cry out Raise your voice, shout out a noise And dance a dance of joy [Chorus] We're goin into all the world Carrying the light of Jesus And we shine, yeah we shine In the darkest place we shine (x2) And now is the time for the poeple to rise Lift up a shout, everybody cry out Raise your voice, shout out a noise And dance a dance of joy [Chorus x2] Come on, come on, your kingdom is comin Come on, come on, your kingdom is comin Come on, come on, come on, let your kingdom come down (x2)
Even one is too many for the City names for the Angels of GOD.
For the past 50 years California has been in the forefront of just about everything which is not good for education. I would give examples but it is late in the day and I am missing FOX News.
The winners of the National Spelling Bee are often homeschoolers...
Just placing it over the head of one of the past three Governors of the State of California would be a good start!
Ah, but it’s ok to force public school students to take a three-week course in which they adopt a Muslim name, wear a robe, learn the fundamental tenets of Islam, and stage their own Jihad. (http://www.campus-watch.org/article/id/922)
Pick a song glorifying fisting or about wanting surgery to change your sex while mainlining heroin.
First place is guaranteed.
Then the story I heard about Clinton was probably correct.
Correct and sad!!!
These edu bastards are treating Christianity like it’s a disease.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.