ACLU suit says Louisiana teacher told Buddhist student that his religion is 'stupid'

The American Civil Liberties Union has filed a lawsuit against a Louisiana school board after a teacher allegedly told a Buddhist sixth-grader that the Bible is "100 percent true," evolution is "impossible" and that Buddhism is "stupid."

The ACLU claims in its lawsuit that officials at Negreet High School endorse and encourage harassment and other unconstitutional practices. The suit was filed on behalf of Scott and Sharon Lane and their three children, one of whom is a lifelong Buddhist of Thai descent.

Scott Lane wrote about how the separation of church and state was allegedly violated at Negreet.

“On a science test, their teacher had included a fill-in-the-blank question: "ISN'T IT AMAZING WHAT THE _____________ HAS MADE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" When my stepson didn't know the answer (‘Lord’), she belittled him in front of the entire class. When he wrote in ‘Lord Buddha’ on another exam, she marked it wrong. As she was returning that exam to students, one student proclaimed aloud that ‘people are stupid if they think God is not real.’ In response, my stepson's teacher agreed, telling the class, ‘Yes! That is right! I had a student miss that on his test.’ The entire class broke out in laughter at my stepson.”

The same teacher also allegedly said that evolution is a "stupid theory made up by stupid people who don't want to believe in God."

When the Lanes went to the school to complain about the teacher, they were shocked by what they found.

“We discovered that school officials were distributing religious literature to students. For example, one of our other son's teachers passed out copies of a book from the "Truth For Youth" program, a revivalist ministry. The book included the entire New Testament of the Bible as well as cartoons that denounce evolution and trumpet the evils of birth control, premarital sex, rock music, alcohol, pornography, homosexuality, sorcery, and witchcraft.”

When they confronted the superintendent about what was going on, the Lanes said they were told that they “live in the ‘Bible Belt’" and that this is just how things are.

Scott continued:

"The [superintendent] added she was not offended by the fact that ‘the lady who cuts [her] toenails has a statue of Buddha,’ we should not be upset by the blatant proselytizing at Negreet or the bullying and harassment of our son and the degradation of his Buddhist faith.” She then offered to transfer Scott’s son to a school district with "more Asians."

Lane v. Sabine Parish School Board was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana.

[ACLU] [ArkLaTex]