ACS is pleased to distribute an Issue Brief by Edward Correia, Washington D.C. attorney and adjunct professor at American University's Washington College of Law, entitled, “A Constitutional Framework for Addressing Religious Viewpoints in Public School Classrooms.”


In the debate over the constitutional separation of church and state in the U.S., one ongoing issue is how religious viewpoints may be addressed in our nation’s public schools. In this paper, the author takes on this sometimes controversial subject by reviewing various possible approaches and examining those approaches in light of the legal precedent in this area of the law. Throughout the paper, the author uses the specific examples of the teaching of creationism, intelligent design, and evolution in science class to illustrate community tensions over these issues and to convey his views on what is constitutionally permissible and what is not. Correia concludes by arguing that it is possible to distinguish among three distinct classroom approaches in specific course contexts: acknowledging religious beliefs, explaining religious beliefs and endorsing religious beliefs. Under his approach, the first is always constitutionally permissible, the second may be permissible depending upon the context, and the third fails to pass constitutional muster. He advocates a thoughtful, nuanced approach that respects religious freedom, diversity and tolerance while advocating compliance with the Constitution’s prohibition on the State establishment of religion.