Classroom Teacher Found Guilty of Violation of the First Amendment

State Legal News May 4, 2009

Los Angeles – U.S. District Judge James Selna has found a history teacher at a Southern California Public School guilty of violating the First Amendment when he made the remark that creationism is “superstitious nonsense” in a classroom lecture.

The ruling came after a 16-month legal battle between James Corbett, the teacher, and his student, Chad Farnan. In his complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in 2007, Farnan accused Corbett of making more than 20 statements “disparaging to Christians and their beliefs”.

The court is set to have another hearing to determine whether damages will be awarded and whether Corbett will be prohibited from making hostile religious remarks and comments.