Christian homeschooling parents sue California after banning “Faith Based Curriculum”

A group of Christian parents is suing California schools for religious discrimination after they were banned from including, and in one instance expelled for using, a faith-based curriculum in a publicly funded homeschooling program.

According to a complaint filed by lawyers at the First Liberty law firm, a group of five parents enrolled children in tuition-free charter schools — Blue Ridge Academy in Southern California and Visions of Education in Northern California — that give the option for “independent study” curated by parents.

“In particular, these schools have restricted parents’ use of funds to purchase curricula and other instructional materials on the basis of religion and refused to accept or award credit for student work samples that derive from faith-based curricula or reflect religious perspectives.”

“Our clients simply want to be able to choose curricula that fits their families’ needs without facing religious discrimination,” Justin Butterfield, deputy general counsel for First Liberty, said. “These families love their charter schools and the opportunities those schools provide for families to educate their children in a way that fits the families’ needs.”