Parents sue California public high school for information on lesbian's presentation to math and science classes speaking about her "coming out to God" - District invokes "clergy-penitent privilege"
No, you couldn't make this stuff up!
-- From "Parents Complain After Lesbian Minister Speaks at High School" by Pacific Justice Institute 5/7/09
More than twenty parents filed suit yesterday against the Castro Valley Unified School District, after the District refused to comply with a public records request. The parents are represented by staff attorneys with Pacific Justice Institute.
The parents sought more information after learning from their children that a lesbian minister had been invited by the school to speak to math and science classes at Castro Valley High School. According to students, the minister spoke about her lesbian wedding and the process of "coming out" to God, self and family. Pacific Justice Institute sent a public records request to the school on the parents' behalf, seeking all records related to the minister's presentations, as well as any records demonstrating the connection between the minister's talk and the math and science curriculum.
In response, the school district flatly refused to provide the records. To the bewilderment of PJI attorneys, the District invoked the clergy-penitent privilege-ordinarily used to shield ministers from testifying in court about confessions made to them in private. PJI filed a writ petition yesterday in Alameda Superior Court to compel release of the records.
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