Nampa Classical Academy v. Goesling resource page

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ADF comment on U.S. Supreme Court's decision not to review Idaho ban on religious classical texts

Monday, Mar 26, 2012
The following quote may be attributed to Alliance Defense Fund Senior Counsel David Cortman regarding the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision not to review Nampa Classical Academy v. Goesling, a challenge to Idaho’s ban on public school usage of texts and documents deemed to be “religious”--even if they are classical books from Western Civilization taught with regard to their literary and historical importance:

“Every student deserves a quality education. Banning classical religious texts denies students the right to learn what they need to know about world history and the world in general. For that reason, the decision of the Supreme Court not to review this case is regrettable, especially in light of the high court’s existing precedent stating that even ‘the Bible may constitutionally be used in an appropriate study of history, civilization, ethics, comparative religion, or the like.’ We trust the court will reaffirm that conclusion in the future. In the meantime, it’s no surprise that the call for school choice has become so popular: When government officials ban the objective study of all religiously-themed texts--like the Bible, the Iliad, and the Odyssey--it does nothing but dumb-down public education.”

ADF Media Relations: (480) 444-0020 or www.adfmedia.org/home/contact

Previous News Releases

ADF asks U.S. Supreme Court to end Idaho censorship of all religious, classical texts in public schools
Wednesday, Dec 21, 2011
Censorship: A new way to educate?
Tuesday, Sep 6, 2011

Legal Documents

Complaint: Nampa Classical Academy v. Goesling
District court decision and order: Nampa Classical Academy v. Goesling
Notice of appeal: Nampa Classical Academy v. Goesling
Opening appellate brief: Nampa Classical Academy v. Goesling
9th Circuit panel ruling: Nampa Classical Academy v. Goesling
Petition for rehearing en banc: Nampa Classical Academy v. Goesling
Petition for certiorari: Nampa Classical Academy v. Goesling
Reply brief filed with U.S. Supreme Court: Nampa Classical Academy v. Goesling

Related Resources

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ABOUT David Cortman

David A. Cortman serves as senior counsel and vice president of U.S. litigation with Alliance Defending Freedom. He has been practicing law since 1996, and currently supervises a team of over 40 attorneys and legal staff who specialize in constitutional law, focusing on religious freedom, sanctity of life, and marriage and family. Cortman has litigated hundreds of constitutional law cases including two victories at the U.S. Supreme Court. In Trinity Lutheran Church v. Comer, he secured a 7-2 victory that overturned Missouri’s denial of a religious school’s participation in a state funding program. Cortman also argued Reed v. Town of Gilbert, securing a 9-0 ruling that prohibits the government from discriminating against religious speech. A member of the bar in Georgia, Florida, Arizona, and the District of Columbia, he is also admitted to practice in over two dozen federal courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court. Cortman obtained his J.D. magna cum laude from Regent University School of Law.


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