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  <updated>2008-08-07T15:58:34-05:00</updated>
  <entry>
    <title>Texas School District Official: &#039;Take That You Dang Heathens&#039;</title>
    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/texas-school-district-official-take-you-dang-heathens" />
    <id>http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/texas-school-district-official-take-you-dang-heathens</id>
    <published>2007-05-18T13:57:46-05:00</published>
    <updated>2008-08-07T15:58:34-05:00</updated>
    <author>
      <name>Ezra</name>
    </author>
    <category term="Civil Liberties" />
    <category term="Education" />
    <category term="First Amendment" />
    <category term="National Council on Bible Curriculum in Public Schools" />
    <category term="Religion" />
    <category term="Texas" />
    <summary type="html"><![CDATA[<p>L.V. &ldquo;Butch&rdquo; Foreman, a member of the Ector County   school board in Odessa, Texas,   has three words for parents who say the district&rsquo;s Bible course crosses the line   from teaching about the Bible to promoting sectarian beliefs: &ldquo;<a title="http://www.oaoa.com/onset?id=2353&amp;template=article.html" href="http://www.oaoa.com/onset?id=2353&amp;template=article.html">kiss my   butt</a>.&rdquo; Said Foreman:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>&ldquo;If they don&rsquo;t have children in the   class, they can kiss my butt,&rdquo; Foreman said. &ldquo;They&rsquo;re just looking to impose   their beliefs and their views on everybody, and we don&rsquo;t put up with that crap   out here.&rdquo; </p>
<p>    If the plaintiffs did have children enrolled in the classes,   then Foreman said he would tell the students to drop the class and take another   course since it&rsquo;s an elective.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>On   Wednesday&nbsp;, the parents &ndash;&nbsp;&nbsp;represented by   attorneys&nbsp;with&nbsp;People For the American Way Foundation&nbsp;, the&nbsp;ACLU, the ACLU of Texas, and the law firm of   Jenner &amp; Block&nbsp; &ndash; <a title="http://www.pfaw.org/pfaw/general/default.aspx?oid=24026" href="http://www.pfaw.org/pfaw/general/default.aspx?oid=24026">filed a   lawsuit</a> against the school&nbsp;&nbsp;district, charging that&nbsp;this particular Bible course   violates their religious liberty. Odessa schools are using a controversial   course based on the program promoted   by&nbsp;the   National Council on Bible Curriculum in Public Schools (NCBSPS) &ndash; a&nbsp;private&nbsp;group backed by   religious-right activists <a title="http://www.bibleinschools.net/sdm.asp?pg=endorsements" href="http://www.bibleinschools.net/sdm.asp?pg=endorsements"><span title="http://www.bibleinschools.net/sdm.asp?pg=endorsements">including</span></a>&nbsp;Jesse Helms, Tony   Perkins of Family Research Council, the Eagle Forum, and even <a title="http://www.rightwingwatch.org/2006/08/unbeatable_mart.html" href="http://www.rightwingwatch.org/2006/08/unbeatable_mart.html">Chuck   Norris</a>. The NCBCPS curriculum   fails to present the Bible in an objective manner, a requirement for any public   school&nbsp;course about the Bible. Instead, it presents the Bible as history,   and also   from a particular   sectarian perspective.&nbsp;</p>
<p>After the   board&nbsp; voted to adopt the NCBCPS   curriculum &ndash; and   create&nbsp;a course   that&nbsp;the&nbsp;Texas&nbsp;ACLU&rsquo;s Lisa Graybill called &ldquo;<a title="http://www.cnn.com/2007/EDUCATION/05/16/bible.classes.ap/" href="http://www.cnn.com/2007/EDUCATION/05/16/bible.classes.ap/">basically a   Sunday School class</a> within the walls of a public school&rdquo; &ndash; the district&rsquo;s   curriculum director exclaimed in an e-mail,</p>
<blockquote>
<p>YES, WE ARE USING NCBCPS :) :) :)!   HA! Take that you dang heathens!</p>
</blockquote>
    ]]></summary>
    <content type="html"><![CDATA[<p>L.V. &ldquo;Butch&rdquo; Foreman, a member of the Ector County   school board in Odessa, Texas,   has three words for parents who say the district&rsquo;s Bible course crosses the line   from teaching about the Bible to promoting sectarian beliefs: &ldquo;<a title="http://www.oaoa.com/onset?id=2353&amp;template=article.html" href="http://www.oaoa.com/onset?id=2353&amp;template=article.html">kiss my   butt</a>.&rdquo; Said Foreman:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>&ldquo;If they don&rsquo;t have children in the   class, they can kiss my butt,&rdquo; Foreman said. &ldquo;They&rsquo;re just looking to impose   their beliefs and their views on everybody, and we don&rsquo;t put up with that crap   out here.&rdquo; </p>
<p>    If the plaintiffs did have children enrolled in the classes,   then Foreman said he would tell the students to drop the class and take another   course since it&rsquo;s an elective.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>On   Wednesday&nbsp;, the parents &ndash;&nbsp;&nbsp;represented by   attorneys&nbsp;with&nbsp;People For the American Way Foundation&nbsp;, the&nbsp;ACLU, the ACLU of Texas, and the law firm of   Jenner &amp; Block&nbsp; &ndash; <a title="http://www.pfaw.org/pfaw/general/default.aspx?oid=24026" href="http://www.pfaw.org/pfaw/general/default.aspx?oid=24026">filed a   lawsuit</a> against the school&nbsp;&nbsp;district, charging that&nbsp;this particular Bible course   violates their religious liberty. Odessa schools are using a controversial   course based on the program promoted   by&nbsp;the   National Council on Bible Curriculum in Public Schools (NCBSPS) &ndash; a&nbsp;private&nbsp;group backed by   religious-right activists <a title="http://www.bibleinschools.net/sdm.asp?pg=endorsements" href="http://www.bibleinschools.net/sdm.asp?pg=endorsements"><span title="http://www.bibleinschools.net/sdm.asp?pg=endorsements">including</span></a>&nbsp;Jesse Helms, Tony   Perkins of Family Research Council, the Eagle Forum, and even <a title="http://www.rightwingwatch.org/2006/08/unbeatable_mart.html" href="http://www.rightwingwatch.org/2006/08/unbeatable_mart.html">Chuck   Norris</a>. The NCBCPS curriculum   fails to present the Bible in an objective manner, a requirement for any public   school&nbsp;course about the Bible. Instead, it presents the Bible as history,   and also   from a particular   sectarian perspective.&nbsp;</p>
<p>After the   board&nbsp; voted to adopt the NCBCPS   curriculum &ndash; and   create&nbsp;a course   that&nbsp;the&nbsp;Texas&nbsp;ACLU&rsquo;s Lisa Graybill called &ldquo;<a title="http://www.cnn.com/2007/EDUCATION/05/16/bible.classes.ap/" href="http://www.cnn.com/2007/EDUCATION/05/16/bible.classes.ap/">basically a   Sunday School class</a> within the walls of a public school&rdquo; &ndash; the district&rsquo;s   curriculum director exclaimed in an e-mail,</p>
<blockquote>
<p>YES, WE ARE USING NCBCPS :) :) :)!   HA! Take that you dang heathens!</p>
</blockquote>
    ]]></content>
  </entry>
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