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Three parents and the Californians for Equal Rights Foundation (CFER) have sued the state of California over a public school curriculum that includes teaching high school students how to pray and chant to Aztec gods, reports The Center Square.
The Thomas More Society sued the state of California in the Superior Court of California, County of San Diego on September 3 claiming that the State Board of Education violated the California Constitution's free-exercise and state law banning government aid to religion.
An Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum was unanimously approved on March 18 by the Board of Education. The curriculum includes a section on "Affirmation, Chants, and Energizers," and requires teaching students to repeat the "In Lak Ech Affirmation," which invokes Aztec deities by name.
According to the lawsuit, the material is largely based on a book co-authored by Tolteka Cuauhtin. The complaint states that Cuauhtin "demonstrates an animus towards Christianity and Catholicism – claiming that Christians committed ‘theocide’ (i.e., killing gods) against indigenous tribes.”
However, the Board of Education maintains that the curriculum was important to confronting racism in the country. They argue that the curriculum, "is aimed at empowering students by illuminating the often-untold struggles and contributions of Native Americans, African Americans, Latino/a/x Americans, and Asian Americans in California.” It also “gives schools the opportunity to uplift the histories and voices of marginalized communities in ways that help our state and nation achieve racial justice and create lasting change.”
According to The Center Square, the plaintiffs are asking the court to issue an injunction prohibiting the prayers from being used in the curriculum and in public schools.