Anti-Christian LGBT History and Social Science Curriculum Being Forced on California Schools

An expanded version of a California law passed in 2011 (SB 48), requiring the acknowledgment of LGBT historical figures in K-12  history and social studies curriculum, is being forced on school districts throughout the state. Parents, teachers, and Christian leaders need to act quickly before the new curriculum, hostile to Christianity and the Biblical view of sexuality, gender, and family, becomes a permanent part of K-12 education.

According to the National Center for Law & Policy (NCLP), a California-based legal group that defends religious liberty, the California Department of Education has created a curriculum framework that expands far beyond the intent of SB 48. Reports also indicate that activists are falsely telling school districts they have no choice but to adopt this expanded curriculum. NCLP President Dean Broyles explains:

“After reviewing the Framework in light of applicable California law, alarm bells started going off. We researched the issues and we have arrived at the informed legal opinion that the new Framework is not mandatory and that parents and school boards should be made aware of its decidedly anti-family and anti-religious nature. Furthermore, local school districts must understand that they are perfectly free to reject the Framework’s discriminatory approach to complying with SB 48. Rather, school districts can comply with SB 48 without engaging in religiously intolerant secular indoctrination and without throwing religious families and religious communities under the bus.”

Broyles outlines the NCLP evidence in a legal brief, which details how the Framework aggressively strays into the sensitive areas of human sexuality and morality by promoting the redefinition of family and the denigration of religious groups and individuals who are “intolerant” of LGBT progress. He also explains how the Framework violates SB 48 and the U.S. Constitution. Here is excerpt:

“Proponents of SB 48 claim that the intent of the law is not to teach about human sexuality
or morality-but rather state that it is their desire to leave such sensitive matters to parents and
religious communities. However, this is precisely what the Framework does by going out of its
way to only praise LGBT ‘civil rights’ activists and, at the same time, denigrate all opponents as
‘intolerant.’ While presenting LGBT historical figures in a positive light, the Framework
characterizes religion and religious people in a very negative light. This approach naturally
tends to disrespect, undermine, and contradict the fundamental responsibility of parents,
guardians, and religious communities in teaching children about sexuality and in inculcating
virtue and morality. In doing so, the Framework forcibly imposes statist moral judgments on
students and families regarding sensitive moral, ethical, and religious matters that the state would be well-advised to instead leave to the consciences of parents, guardians, and religious communities.

It is my informed legal opinion that the Framework actually violates SB 48 and the First
Amendment to the U.S. Constitution by encouraging state actors (teachers) to inculcate hostility toward religion, specifically Christianity, by sponsoring activities or giving instruction that promotes ‘discriminatory bias’ towards religion and by, if the framework is infused in the new curriculum, leading to the adoption textbooks or instructional materials that ‘reflect
adversely upon’ persons on the basis of religion. The framework indoctrinates students in anti-religious stereotypes by repeatedly describing various religious groups, including the Puritans, as ‘intolerant,’ implying that these religious groups and individuals were or are bigoted or hateful to women and LGBT persons.”

The Framework is currently being introduced for adoption by school boards around the state, but school board members need to know they have wide discretion in how and if the Framework is used.

Pastors, parents, educators, and Christian leaders need to contact their local school board members and make sure they read the legal brief from NCLP and understand the discretion they have in implementing the new Framework.

Click here to read the new History and Social Science Framework for yourself.