Science Credit for Courses – Judge Dismisses Religious Discrimination Suit Against University of California

We have been watching with great interest the continuing situation in California that has pitted the University against religious organizations. Once again, a federal judge has ruled in favor of the University of California in what has become an ongoing legal debate.

U.S. District Judge James Otero of Los Angeles has ruled that UC may deny course credit to applicants from Christian high schools using textbooks that “declare the Bible infallible.” In his summary, the judge rejected claims of religious discrimination and the stifling of free expression.

Rejecting Credit Based on Legitimate Issues
Though a group of Christian schools continues to suggest otherwise, the federal judge has consistently found in favor of the university. Critical to his summary was the ability of UC to show that the school did not reject specific courses simply because they contained religious viewpoints.

According to Otero, UC’s review committees were able to cite legitimate reasons for rejecting course credit for those classes relying solely on specific texts. The judge had noted previously that UC has approved many courses that contained religious viewpoints, including courses using texts such as “Chemistry for Christian Schools” and “Biology: God’s Living Creation.”

UC has approved courses that featured creationism as long as the course also examined evolution. In contrast, the UC rejected a course using the text, “Biology for Christian Schools.” Otero supported the school’s rejection citing the textbook’s own language as a rational. According to Otero, page one of the text stated, “if (scientific) conclusions contradict the Word of God, the conclusions are wrong.”

The judge also upheld the university’s rejection of a specific history course called “Christianity’s Influence on America.” Here again, UC rejected credit based on the primary resource used in the course.

Published by Bob Jones University, the textbook “instructs that the Bible is the unerring source for analysis of historical events.” In addition to the extreme viewpoint, the text evaluated historical figures based on their religious motivations.

Ongoing Battle
The initial suit, filed in 2005, challenged UC’s process for reviewing of high school courses. The Christian schools, in essence, accused the school of rejecting courses that included any references to a religious viewpoint.

After the recent hearing, attorney Jennifer Monk had strong words for the college’s course evaluation process.

“It appears the UC is attempting to secularize private religious schools,” she stated. “Science courses from a religious perspective are not approved. If it comes from certain publishers or from a religious perspective, UC simply denies them.”

However, Charles Robinson, the university’s vice president for legal affairs, offered a completely different assessment. Robinson noted that the ruling “confirms that UC may apply the same admissions standards to all students and to all high schools without regard to their religious affiliations.”

Robinson went on to add that the plaintiffs were essentially seeking a “religious exemption from regular admissions standards.”

However, thought the suit has been dismissed, a group of Christian schools has subsequently appealed Otero’s rulings to the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco.