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alternatives to evolution. Opponents

and was forbidden by administrators

objected that the last line of the new poli-

from doing so because the song was too

cy was a back-door attempt to introduce

religious. In June 2006, a case brought

intelligent design into district biology

against the district by the student's par-

classes. The line read, "When appropriate

ents went to trial.

and consistent with the New Mexico

According to school superintendent

Science Content Standards, Benchmarks,

Joyce Brennan, the trouble was not that

and Performance Standards, discussions

the child was singing a religious song, "the

about issues that are of interest to both sci-

problem came with the words in the song

ence and individual religious and philo-

that were not espousing what the child

sophical beliefs will acknowledge that rea-

believed but rather indicating what other

sonable people may disagree about the

people should be believing." She contin-

meaning and interpretation of data."

ued, "we have people of all faiths here . . .

In April, after months of rancor over

And for me to say `OK, you'd better believe

the new policy, the board revisited it. In

in this thing,' maybe my Muslim parents

the end, they amended the last line to

wouldn't understand that, nor would

read "Students shall understand that

their children." The girl's mother, Mary-

reasonable people may disagree about

ann Turton, however, contended that the

some issues that are of interest to both

district's actions made her daughter feel

science and religion (for example, the

"dirty and wrong and icky" for choosing

origin of life on earth, the cause of the

the song she did. "I didn't like seeing my

`big bang,' the future of the earth)." Still,

child made to feel that way and I wouldn't

not all board members were happy.

want anyone else's kid to feel that way

either," she said.158

Board member Margaret Terry said that

·

she felt the new language continued to

East Brunswick--In October, an East

be a back door to intelligent design, and

Brunswick High School football coach

said that the district's teachers were "not

was barred by the district from praying

qualified to teach my religion in a pub-

with the team. In November, the coach

lic school." She added that "if you want

filed a lawsuit against the district saying

it [intelligent design] taught, create your

it had trampled on his constitutional

own school."160

rights. The district maintained that it

had no choice but to prohibit the coach

from praying with the team because fed-

New York

eral courts have ruled that public school

Freedom of Expression

· New York City--When a Brooklyn high

staff members cannot participate,

encourage, or lead students in prayer.

school cancelled a speech by Lynne

The coach argued that a football team's

Stewart--the lawyer convicted of relaying

prayer is not a religious event, and even

messages from jailed bombing master-

if it were, at the very least the coach

mind Sheikh Omar Abdel-Rahman to

should be allowed to show respect by

his followers--students at the school

bowing his head or bending his knee.159

decried it as a violation of free speech.

"The students wanted to hear what she

had to say," said Gardith Edouard, presi-

New Mexico

dent of the school's student government.

Intelligent Design

· Rio Rancho--In August, the Rio Rancho

Department of Education lawyers, how-

ever, defended the decision on the

School Board approved a new policy for its

grounds that Stewart was "not the type

science classes intended, according to its

of role model that we would want to have

supporters, to allow students and teachers

speak to children."161

to discuss origin of life theories that are

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