April 22, 2015
Judge Tom
0

Namaste: Court rules yoga classes in public schools do not violate freedom of religion

Yoga

For many in this country, the practice of yoga is an entirely secular (non-religious) experience undertaken for reasons such as increasing physical flexibility, decreasing pain, and reducing stress.  For others, the practice of yoga is a religious ritual, undertaken for spiritual purposes.

Some public schools offer yoga as part of their physical education program.The Encinitas Union School District in California is one of those districts. J.S. and F.S. Sedlock were students at Capri Elementary where Ashtanga yoga was offered. Their parents objected to this part of the PE program and sued the school district for violating their children’s freedom of religion. They claimed the yoga classes were in conflict with California’s constitution that protected students’ religious rights.

Yoga

Photo by Taro Tastic (Flickr)

The question before the court was whether offering yoga classes at school constituted an impermissible “establishment” of religion. A California court of appeals decided that

“the program is secular in purpose, does not have the primary effect of advancing or inhibiting religion, and does not excessively entangle the school district in religion. Accordingly, we conclude that the trial court properly determined that the district’s yoga program does not violate our state constitution.”*
What do you think? Because a program may have religious overtones, does that mean it should be banned from a school’s curriculum if it also can be seen as a secular exercise as well? Where do you draw the line between “endorsement of religion” and secular activity?
*Sedlock v. Baird, Calif. Court of Appeal (Fourth District), April 3, 2015.
Judge Tom

The Author Judge Tom

Judge Tom is the founder and moderator of AsktheJudge.info. He is a retired juvenile judge and spent 23 years on the bench. He has written several books for lawyers and judges as well as teens and parents including 'Teen Cyberbullying Investigated' (Free Spirit Publishing) and 'Every Vote Matters: the Power of Your Voice, from Student Elections to the Supreme Court' (Free Spirit Publishing). In 2020, the American Bar Association published "Cyberbullying Law," the nation's first case-law book written for lawyers, judges and law students. When he's not answering teens' questions, Judge Tom volunteers with the American Red Cross and can be found hiking, traveling and reading.

Find great resources in our

Teen Help Network

Leave A Comment