The Legal Satyricon (one of my favorite and engaging legal blogs) was fortunate enough to host recently sued California teacher James Corbett’s compelling editorial regarding the lawsuit one of his students brought against him for Corbett’s in-class, out of context statement that “creation is superstitious nonsense.” The suit was based on the theory that Corbett violated the Establishment clause, but Corbett ominously suggests that victories in such frivolous lawsuits would lead to chilling of teacher speech:
Every teacher in California (this was a federal case after all) now works with the knowledge that any student, at any time, and in violation of California law, can sneak a tape recorder into a classroom, record the teacher and use an out-of-context five second comment as a bludgeon to threaten, to intimidate and, ultimately, to destroy the teacher’s career and good name.
Read The Legal Satyricon’s synopsis of the case, and then read Mr. Corbett’s outstanding editorial, which I think I will print out and have framed.
Tags: Amendment, California, creationism, establishment, Law, lawsuit, legal, theory