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First Supplemental Complaint , No. C-02-03004-PJH - 1
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Richard Thompson* (MI P21410)
Edward L. White III* (MI P62485)
Robert J. Muise* (MI P62849)
Thomas More Law Center
3475 Plymouth Road, Suite 100
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48105
(734) 827-2001; Fax: (734) 998-4778
*Admitted pro hac vice
Anthony Francois (CA Bar No. 184100)
1128 34th
Avenue
Sacramento, CA 95822
(916) 446-4647; Fax: (916) 446-1391
Local Counsel .
Attorneys for Plaintiffs
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA
SAN FRANCISCO DIVISION
JONAS EKLUND and TIFFANY EKLUND,
both individually and as next friends of CHASE
EKLUND, a minor, and SAMANTHA EKLUND,
a minor, JAY DUPEE, individually and as next
friend of MORGAN DUPEE, a minor, and
TAYLOR DUPEE, a minor, and HEATHER
SLOAN, individually and as next friend of
MORGAN DUPEE, a minor, and TAYLOR
DUPEE, a minor, CASE NO. C-02-3004-PJH
Plaintiffs,
v.
FIRST SUPPLEMENTAL BYRON UNION SCHOOL DISTRICT, COMPLAINT
THOMAS MEYER, in his official capacity as
Superintendent of the Byron Union School
District, NANCIE CASTRO, individually and
in her official capacity as the Principal of
Byron/Excelsior Public School, BROOKE CARLIN,
individually and in her official capacity as a teacher at
Byron/Excelsior Public School, MICHELE CARR,
individually and in her official capacity as a teacher at
Byron/Excelsior Public School,
Defendants.
_____________________________________________________________________________
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First Supplemental Complaint , No. C-02-03004-PJH - 2
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Plaintiffs, by and through their undersigned attorneys, bring
this Complaint against the
above-named Defendants, their employees, agents, and successors
in office, and in support
thereof allege the following upon information and belief:
INTRODUCTION
1. This civil action is brought on behalf of four California
parents and their children
who object to and have been injured by the Byron Union School
Districts (hereinafter
Defendant School District) funding and implementation of a
curriculum that promotes and
coerces the practice of the Islamic faith in the Byron/Excelsior
Public School (hereinafter
Excelsior) in violation of the First and Fourteenth Amendments
to the United States
Constitution and 42 U.S.C. 1983.
2. For three consecutive weeks during the first semester of the
2001-2002 school
year, a course entitled The Roots of Islam and the Empire
(hereinafter Islam Course) was
taught as part of the seventh grade World History class at
Excelsior. The Islam Course
included the use and implementation of materials entitled Islam:
A simulation of Islamic
history and culture (hereinafter Islam Simulation and attached
as Exhibit A). Upon
information and belief, the Defendant School District and
Excelsior intend to continue teaching
the Islam Course with the Islam Simulation in future World
History classes.
3. During the first semester of the 2002-2003 school year, the
seventh grade World
History class at Excelsior again included the teaching of the
Islamic religion to students.
4. The Islam Simulation part of the Islam Course impermissibly
endorses and
advances the Islamic religion, conveys a message of disapproval
of Christianity, and compels
students to participate in Islamic religious exercises in
violation of the United States
Constitution and 42 U.S.C. 1983. In addition to the Islam
Simulation materials, students in
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the World History course are directed to use the textbook,
Across the Centuries, in which
Christians are portrayed as religious persecutors of Jews and
non-Christians, and Muslims are
portrayed as tolerant people who permitted Christians and Jews
full religious freedom.
5. Plaintiffs seek a declaration that funding and implementing
the Islam Simulation
part of the Islam Course is unconstitutional and a permanent
injunction enjoining the future
funding and implementation of the Islam Simulation in the
schools curriculum. Plaintiffs also
seek an award of reasonable costs of litigation, including
attorneys fees and expenses, pursuant
to 42 U.S.C. 1988. The claims for nominal damages are made
pursuant to 42 U.S.C. 1983.
JURISDICTION AND VENUE
6. This action arises under the First and Fourteenth Amendments
to the United
States Constitution and 42 U.S.C. 1983. Jurisdiction is
conferred on this Court pursuant to 28
U.S.C. 1331 and 1343(a)(3).
7. Plaintiffs claims for declaratory and injunctive relief are
authorized by 28
U.S.C. 2201 and 2202, by Rules 57 and 65 of the Federal Rules of
Civil Procedure, and by
the general legal and equitable powers of this Court.
8. Venue is proper under 28 U.S.C. 1391(b) because a substantial
part of the
events or omissions giving rise to the Plaintiffs claims
occurred in this district.
INTRADISTRICT ASSIGNMENT
9. Pursuant to Civil L.R. 3-2(c)-(d) and Civil L.R. 3-5(b), this
case is properly
assigned to the San Francisco Division because a substantial
part of the events or omissions
giving rise to the Plaintiffs claims occurred in Contra Costa
County, California.
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First Supplemental Complaint , No. C-02-03004-PJH - 4
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PLAINTIFFS
10. Plaintiff Jonas Eklund is a resident of Discovery Bay,
California, and he is the
father and next friend of his son Plaintiff Chase Eklund and his
daughter Plaintiff Samantha
Eklund. Plaintiff Jonas Eklund is a California taxpayer and
municipal taxpayer, and he pays
taxes that support the Defendant School District, including
Excelsior. A portion of his tax
money funds the Islam Course, in particular, a portion of his
tax money purchases the Islam
Simulation materials, which, upon information and behalf, cost
$50.00 a piece. He is a
Christian, and he objects to the use of his tax dollars to fund
the Islam Simulation part of the
Islam Course because it advances religious views that conflict
with his private beliefs, the
beliefs of his children, and the beliefs of his family.
Plaintiff Jonas Eklund is suing on his own
behalf and on behalf of his minor children, Plaintiffs Chase and
Samantha Eklund, as their next
friend.
11. Plaintiff Tiffany Eklund is a resident of Discovery Bay,
California, and she is the
mother and next friend of her son Plaintiff Chase Eklund and her
daughter Plaintiff Samantha
Eklund. Plaintiff Tiffany Eklund is a California taxpayer and
municipal taxpayer, and she pays
taxes that support the Defendant School District, including
Excelsior. A portion of her tax
money funds the Islam Course, in particular, a portion of her
tax money purchases the Islam
Simulation materials, which, upon information and behalf, cost
$50.00 a piece. She is a
Christian, and she objects to the use of her tax dollars to fund
the Islam Simulation part of the
Islam Course because it advances religious views that conflict
with her private beliefs, the
beliefs of her children, and the beliefs of her family.
Plaintiff Tiffany Eklund is suing on her
own behalf and on behalf of her minor children, Plaintiffs Chase
and Samantha Eklund, as their
next friend.
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12. Plaintiff Chase Eklund is a resident of Discovery Bay,
California, and he is the
minor son of Plaintiffs Jonas Eklund and Tiffany Eklund.
Plaintiff Chase Eklund was a seventh
grade student in the Islam Course during the 2001-2002 school
year at Excelsior, and he is
currently in the eighth grade at Excelsior. He received the
Islam Simulation materials, and he
was compelled to participate in the religious exercises of the
course. Plaintiff Chase Eklund is a
Christian, and he objects to the Islam Simulation part of the
Islam Course because it advances
and coerces religious views that conflict with his private
beliefs and the beliefs of his family.
Plaintiff Chase Eklund is suing by his next friends Plaintiffs
Jonas Eklund and Tiffany Eklund.
13. Plaintiff Samantha Eklund is a resident of Discovery Bay,
California, and she is
the minor daughter of Plaintiffs Jonas Eklund and Tiffany
Eklund. Plaintiff Samantha Eklund
was in the sixth grade at Excelsior during the 2001-2002 school
year, and she is currently in the
seventh grade at Excelsior. Plaintiff Samantha Eklund is a
Christian, and she objects to the
Islam Simulation part of the Islam Course because it advances
religious views that conflict with
her private beliefs and the beliefs of her family. Plaintiff
Samantha Eklund is suing by her next
friends Plaintiffs Jonas Eklund and Tiffany Eklund.
14. Plaintiff Jay DuPee is a resident of Byron, California, and
he is the father and
next friend of his daughters Plaintiffs Taylor and Morgan DuPee.
Plaintiff Jay DuPee is a
California taxpayer and municipal taxpayer, and he pays taxes
that support the Defendant
School District, including Excelsior. A portion of his tax money
funds the Islam Course, in
particular, a portion of his tax money purchases the Islam
Simulation materials, which, upon
information and behalf, cost $50.00 a piece. He is a Christian,
and he objects to the use of his
tax dollars to fund the Islam Simulation part of the Islam
Course because it advances religious
views that conflict with his private beliefs, the beliefs of his
children, and the beliefs of his
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First Supplemental Complaint , No. C-02-03004-PJH - 6
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family. Plaintiff Jay DuPee is suing on his own behalf and on
behalf of his minor children,
Plaintiffs Taylor and Morgan DuPee, as their next friend.
15. Plaintiff Heather Sloan is a resident of Discovery Bay,
California, and she is the
mother and next friend of her daughters Plaintiffs Taylor and
Morgan DuPee. Plaintiff Heather
Sloan is a California taxpayer and municipal taxpayer, and she
pays taxes that support the
Defendant School District, including Excelsior. A portion of her
tax money funds the Islam
Course, in particular, a portion of her tax money purchases the
Islam Simulation materials,
which, upon information and belief, cost $50.00 a piece.
Plaintiff Heather Sloan is a Christian,
and she objects to the use of tax dollars to fund the Islam
Simulation part of the Islam Course
because it advances religious views that conflict with her
private beliefs, the beliefs of her
children, and the beliefs of her family. Plaintiff Heather Sloan
is suing on her own behalf and
on behalf of her minor children, Plaintiffs Taylor and Morgan
DuPee, as their next friend.
16. Plaintiff Taylor DuPee is a resident of Byron, California,
and she is the minor
daughter of Plaintiffs Jay DuPee and Heather DuPee. Plaintiff
Taylor DuPee was a third grade
student at Discovery Bay Elementary School in the Defendant
School District during the 2001-
2002 school year, and she is currently in the fourth grade in
that school; she will attend
Excelsior in the future. Plaintiff Taylor DuPee is a Christian,
and she objects to the Islam
Simulation part of the Islam Course because it advances
religious views that conflict with her
private beliefs and the beliefs of her family. Plaintiff Taylor
DuPee is suing by her next friends
Plaintiff Jay DuPee and Heather DuPee.
17. Plaintiff Morgan DuPee is a resident of Byron, California,
and she is the minor
daughter of Plaintiffs Jay DuPee and Heather DuPee. Plaintiff
Morgan DuPee was a second
grade student at Discovery Bay Elementary School in the
Defendant School District during the
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First Supplemental Complaint , No. C-02-03004-PJH - 7
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2001-2002 school year, and she is currently in the third grade
in that school; she will attend
Excelsior in the future. Plaintiff Taylor DuPee is a Christian,
and she objects to the Islam
Simulation part of the Islam Course because it advances
religious views that conflict with her
private beliefs and the beliefs of her family. Plaintiff Taylor
DuPee is suing by her next friends
Plaintiffs Jay DuPee and Heather DuPee.
DEFENDANTS
18. Defendant School District is a public school district
located in Byron, California.
Upon information and belief, Defendant School District is
responsible and has oversight and
supervisory authority for the curricula used and taught in the
schools within its district,
including the Islam Course with the Islam Simulation. Excelsior
is a school within the
Defendant School District and is located in Byron, California.
Upon information and belief,
Defendant School District and Excelsior are funded in part by
taxpayer dollars, including the
tax contributions of Plaintiffs Tiffany Eklund, Jonas Eklund,
and Jay DuPee. At all relevant
times herein, Defendant School District was acting under color
of state law as that phrase is
used in 42 U.S.C. 1983.
19. Defendant Thomas Meyer is the superintendent of the
Defendant School District.
Upon information and belief, Defendant Meyer is responsible and
has oversight and supervisory
authority for the curricula used and taught in the schools
within the Defendant School District,
including the Islam Course with the Islam Simulation. At all
relevant times herein, Defendant
Meyer was acting under color of state law as that phrase is used
in 42 U.S.C. 1983.
Defendant Meyer is sued in his official capacity as the
superintendent of the Defendant School
District.
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20. Defendant Nancie Castro is the principal of Excelsior. Upon
information and
belief, Defendant Castro is responsible and has oversight and
supervisory authority for the
curricula used and taught in Excelsior, including the Islam
Course with the Islam Simulation.
At all relevant times herein, Defendant Castro was acting under
color of state law as that phrase
is used in 42 U.S.C. 1983. Defendant Castro is sued individually
and in her official capacity
as the principal of Excelsior.
21. Defendant Brooke Carlin is a teacher at Excelsior, and she
taught the Islam
Course with the Islam Simulation at Excelsior in the seventh
grade during the 2001-2002 school
year. Upon information and belief, Defendant Carlin is
responsible for the curriculum used and
taught in her seventh grade classes at Excelsior, including the
Islam Course with the Islam
Simulation. At all relevant times herein, Defendant Carlin was
acting under color of state law
as that phrase is used in 42 U.S.C. 1983. Defendant Carlin is
sued individually and in her
official capacity as a teacher at Excelsior.
22. Defendant Michele Carr is a teacher at Excelsior, and she
taught the Islam
Course with the Islam Simulation at Excelsior to the seventh
grade during the 2002-2003 school
year. Upon information and belief, Defendant Carr is responsible
for the curriculum used and
taught in her seventh grade classes at Excelsior, including the
Islam Course with the Islam
Simulation. At all relevant times herein, Defendant Carr was
acting under color of state law as
that phrase is used in 42 U.S.C. 1983. Defendant Carr is sued
individually and in her official
capacity as a teacher at Excelsior.
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STATEMENT OF FACTS
23. California has mandatory attendance requirements that
require children of school
age, such as Plaintiffs Chase Eklund, Samantha Eklund, Taylor
DuPee, and Morgan DuPee, to
attend school.
24. As part of the curricula taught at Excelsior, seventh grade
students attend a class
entitled World History. World History was taught in the first
semester of the 2001 and 2002
academic year at Excelsior and consisted of twenty-one weeks of
study. As part of this class,
the students were required to attend and participate for
approximately three weeks in the Islam
Course with the Islam Simulation. The Islam Course was the only
portion of the World History
class that required simulation exercises. The simulation
exercises were contained in the Islam
Simulation. Upon information and belief, the Defendants intend
to continue teaching World
History and the Islam Course in the future, including the use of
the Islam Simulation as part of
the Islam Course.
25. Before the start of the Fall 2001 semester, Plaintiffs Jonas
Eklund, Tiffany
Eklund, and Chase Eklund were not informed of, and were unaware
of, any opt-out policy of
the Defendants with regard to the Islam Course with the Islam
Simulation.
26. Before the start of the Islam Course with the Islam
Simulation in the Fall 2001
semester, Plaintiffs Jonas Eklund and Tiffany Eklund never
received any notice from
Defendants explaining the use and/or purpose of the Islam
Simulation part of the Islam Course.
27. The students who attended and participated in the Islam
Course with the Islam
Simulation received a grade for their efforts and were
encouraged to perform their best at all
tasks in order to guarantee . . . an excellent grade. A students
grade for the Islam Course
with the Islam Simulation was computed in the students overall
grade for the semester and
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would affect whether the student would pass the class and
eventually get promoted to the next
grade level.
28. In the Islam Simulation materials provided to the students
of the Islam Course,
the students were told that [f]rom the beginning, you and your
classmates will become
Muslims. The students were required to be members of a caravan
group that tried to be the
first group to complete a pilgrimage to Mecca, the holiest of
Islamic cities. The students were
told that [t]his pilgrimage or hajj is a requirement of all
faithful Muslims once in their
lifetime.
29. During the Islam Course with the Islam Simulation, the
students were to pick
an (sic) Muslim name to obtain points toward their grade in the
course. Each selected Muslim
name was printed on a card, and during class the students wore
around their necks the cards
indicating their Muslim names. Plaintiff Chase Eklunds Muslim
name was Abu. Students lost
points toward their grade in the course if they did not wear the
name cards during class.
30. During the Islam Course with the Islam Simulation, the
students were
encouraged to dress as Muslims to earn points toward their grade
in the course. Defendant
Brooke Carlin displayed in her seventh grade classroom an
example of Islamic dress for the
students to use as a model. Students were to make a costume at
home that looked similar to the
one Defendant Carlin had displayed in her classroom and wear the
costume to class.
31. While portraying Muslims, the students were encouraged to
use phrases in their
speech such as in sha Allah or God is willing and Allah Akbar,
Arabic for God is great.
32. While participating in a game called Jihad to earn points
toward their grade in
the course, the students exchanged Dirham, which had inscribed
on them the following: In
the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate.
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33. The students of the Islam Course with the Islam Simulation
were told that an
important activity was learning Islams Five Pillars of Faith by
imitating a requirement of
each Pillar. According to the Islam Simulation, the Five Pillars
of Faith are [c]entral to being
a faithful Muslim, and they are considered the five important
duties of a faithful Muslim.
These Pillars include Shahada: Profession of ones faith publicly
that there is only one God,
and Muhammad is his prophet; Salaat: Prayer five times daily
facing Mecca; Zakaat:
Charity or alms for the poor; Ramadan: Fasting during the ninth
month of the Islamic
Calendar; and Hajj: Pilgrimage (religious journey) to the city
of Mecca.
34. The students in the Islam Course with the Islam Simulation
were instructed that
they must complete the Muslims Five Pillars of Faith. In order
to show the students
understanding of Shahada (profession of faith), the First
Pillar, the students were told to
complete a city banner which uses Arabesque designs and has the
name of the city and the
Bismillah (in the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate,
the opening words of the
Quran) written on it.
35. The Second Pillar, Salaat (prayer), was simulated by
requiring the students to
analyze at least one verse from The Quran and memorize five
Islamic proverbs. If called on,
the student had to be prepared to explain the Quran verse or
recite an Islamic proverb and
explain what either means in our culture.
36. The Third Pillar, Ramadan (fasting), was completed by
directing the students to
fast by giving up one lunch or snack period. Fasting was
described as the principal act of
devotion during this holy month. The students were given the
option of giving up one snack
and/or TV or radio program at home or to substitute this with
silent reading or extra
homework during this period with parent verification. Students
who fasted during the
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Ramadan segment of the course were able to earn additional
points toward their grade in the
course.
37. The Fourth Pillar, Zakaat (charity or alms giving), was
simulated by requiring
each student to provide one service for one of the following:
community, school, faculty,
administration, rival group. If members of the student group did
not meet this requirement,
the Muslim tithe of two and a half percent must be paid for the
poor to the students teacher
before the Islamic Bowl.
38. The Fifth Pillar, Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca) was simulated
during THE RACE
TO MECCA. The students were told that [a] Muslim, at least once
in his lifetime if
physically and financially able to do so, is required to make a
pilgrimage to the holy city of
Mecca.
39. The students of the Islam Course were instructed by the
Islam Simulation
materials that during the most important event, you will listen
to a companion of Prophet
Muhammad explain about Muhammads life, his teachings, and his
influence on the world
today. The students were taught that Muhammad was Gods final
prophet who perfected
Islam. They were told that Prophet Muhammad has been called the
most influential man in
history and that [b]efore God revealed His message to Prophet
Muhammad, the Arabs
worshiped many gods. The students were instructed that Muhammad
was told by the angel
Gabriel to be the apostle of God and to warn the people. The
students were also warned that
at times they could be misdirected by a jinn (devil).
40. During the Islam Course with the Islam Simulation, the
students participated in
so-called games, through which students could earn points toward
their grade in the course.
These games required the students to do things such as Complete
this phrase: Allah is the
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only true God and Muhammad is his __________; or fill in the
blank: A phrase believers
recite to become a Muslim: __________; or answer truth, fact, or
trivia to such claims
as follows: The Quran has 114 chapters or suras, has 6,226
verses, and is Gods third
revelation that was revealed to Prophet Muhammad. Fact; The Holy
Quran is Gods word as
revealed to Prophet Muhammad through the Archangel Gabriel.
Truth.; Archangel Gabriel
came to Prophet Muhammad while he meditated in a cave and
revealed Gods word to him.
Revelations continued for 23 years. Truth. In one Bulletin Card
the students are told Your
tribe repels an attack by infidels (non-believers). Praise
Allah. Gain 5 dirhams.
41. As part of the Islam Course with the Islam Simulation, the
students were
required to write a five-paragraph essay on the following topic:
What THREE
important/interesting facts or ideas did you learn while
studying Islam? (Attached as Exhibit
B.) As part of the instructions on completing this requirement,
the students were given the
following guidance and warning: How did these new facts or ideas
change or not change your
view (opinion) of the religion of Islam and/or Muslim people?BE
CAREFUL HEREif
you do not have something positive to say, dont say
anything!!!!
42. In the section on Islamic prayer, the Islam Simulation
materials provided to
the students explained the Steps in prayer, and taught the
students the fatiha: The opening
sura (chapter) in the Quran that is recited at every daily
prayer either silently or aloud,
depending on the time of day that prayer is performed. The
fatiha was provided in the Islam
Simulation as follows:
In the name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
Praise be to God, The Cherisher
and Sustainer of the Worlds;
Most Gracious, Most Merciful;
Master of the Day of Judgment;
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Thee do we worship,
And Thine aid we seek,
Show us the straight path.
The way on those whom Thou
hast bestowed Thy Grace.
Those whose portion is not wrath,
And who go not astray.
Amen.
43. The teacher notes in the Islam Simulation materials state
the following: To
give extra flavor to the presentation, you should use proper
phrases like God willing and
Allah has power over all things, as well as quote appropriate
proverbs; Stress that those
students who do not dress up will not be allowed to actively
participate and must sit at the back
of the room; Please note that Muslim organizations we have
consulted feel very apprehensive
about this role-play. If you feel that your students will not
enter into this activity with a serious
attitude, use the Lecture Option.
44. During the Islam Course with the Islam Simulation, Defendant
Brooke Carlin
asked the students questions from the Islam Simulation
materials, including the following:
Prophet Muhammad is Gods messenger and the final prophet. How
does God speak through
Prophet Muhammad?; What will hell or heaven be like?; and Can
you describe the
circumstances in which Prophet Muhammad made his night journey
to heaven?
45. The students of the Islam Course were required to design and
make a prayer rug
out of paper pursuant to the instructions of the Islam
Simulation materials.
46. During a simulated game show called the Islamic Bowl, the
Islam Simulation
materials suggested a script that concluded with the following
statement: So until next time,
in sha Allah, assalam aleikoom and Allah akbar (God willing, may
peace be with you, and
there is none greater than God Almighty).
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47. Plaintiff Samantha Eklund, the thirteen year old daughter of
Plaintiffs Jonas and
Tiffany Eklund, is enrolled in the World History class at
Excelsior for the 2002-2003 school
year. Plaintiff Samantha Eklunds teacher is Defendant Michele
Carr.
48. On October 21, 2002, Plaintiff Samantha Eklund brought home
a notebook that
contained notes from her World History class. Some of her class
notes indicated that the school
was again teaching religion to the students. As a result,
Plaintiff Tiffany Eklund sent a note to
Defendant Carr, informing her that Samantha was not to be
involved in the unit on Islam.
49. Upon receiving this note from Plaintiff Samantha Eklund,
Defendant Carr
became angry, held up the note in class and shouted, Is there
anyone else. Defendant Carr
then directed Plaintiff Samantha Eklund to go to the school
office. This was upsetting to
Plaintiff Samantha Eklund, who heard other students comment
about her being in trouble for
having done something wrong.
50. Because her parents did not want her to be exposed to the
Islam Simulation,
Plaintiff Samantha Eklund was required to report to the school
office or another teachers
classroom for more than a month. During this time, which was
often three full periods of
instruction a day, Plaintiff Samantha Eklund would work on
school assignments. For nearly
half the school day during this opt-out period, Plaintiff
Samantha Eklund would work on her
own without instruction or guidance from a teacher.
51. Because Plaintiff Samantha Eklund opted-out of the Islam
unit, Defendant
Carr had Plaintiff Samantha Eklund study on her own an entire
chapter on the French
revolution. After Plaintiff Samantha Eklund completed this
chapter, she was given a test, which
she failed. This failing grade is part of her school record, and
it is computed in her overall
grade for the semester. Students who attended the World History
class with the Islam
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Simulation did not have to study the French revolution chapter
on their own, nor take a test on
it.
52. While she was opted-out of her regular class, Plaintiff
Samantha Eklund was
separated from her fellow students and friends. Plaintiff
Samantha Eklund felt like she was
being singled out because of her religious beliefs. Moreover,
because Plaintiff Tiffany Eklund
was forced to remove Plaintiff Samantha Eklund from the World
History class, she experienced
the burden of having to separate her child from her fellow
students and friends, knowing that
this would cause anguish for her child. In addition, because
Plaintiff Samantha Eklund was
compelled to opt-out of the World History class based on her
religious beliefs, Plaintiff
Samantha Eklund was deprived the benefits of a public school
education, which her parents,
Plaintiffs Jonas and Tiffany Eklund, fund in part through their
tax dollars. By continuing to
expose students to offensive religious indoctrination, school
officials in the Byron Union
School District are placing a substantial burden on the parents
and their childrens religious
beliefs.
FIRST CLAIM FOR RELIEF
(Establishment Clause Violation)
53. Plaintiffs hereby incorporate by reference all above-stated
paragraphs.
54. Defendants policy, practice, procedure, and/or custom of
funding and
implementing the Islam Simulation part of the Islam Course in
Excelsior violates the
Establishment Clause of the First Amendment of the United States
Constitution in that it
impermissibly endorses and advances the Islamic religion,
conveys a message of disapproval of
Christianity, and compels students to participate in Islamic
religious exercises therefore
depriving the Plaintiffs of their rights guaranteed to them
under the First Amendment to the
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United States Constitution as applied to the states and their
political subdivisions under the
Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution and 42
U.S.C. 1983.
55. As a direct and proximate result of the Defendants violation
of the Plaintiffs
rights, the Plaintiffs have suffered irreparable harm, including
the loss of their constitutional
rights, and this harm will continue absent injunctive relief;
therefore, plaintiffs are entitled to an
injunction and an award of nominal damages.
SECOND CLAIM FOR RELIEF
(Free Exercise Clause Violation)
56. Plaintiffs hereby incorporate by reference all above-stated
paragraphs.
57. Defendants policy, practice, procedure, and/or custom of
funding and
implementing the Islam Simulation part of the Islam Course in
Excelsior violated the Free
Exercise Clause of the First Amendment of the United States
Constitution in that it
impermissibly and substantially burdened the free exercise right
of Plaintiff Chase Eklund
therefore depriving Plaintiff Chase Eklund of the rights
guaranteed to him under the First
Amendment to the United States Constitution as applied to the
states and their political
subdivisions under the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States
Constitution and 42 U.S.C.
1983.
58. As a direct and proximate result of the Defendants violation
of Plaintiff Chase
Eklunds rights, Plaintiff Chase Eklund has suffered irreparable
harm, including the loss of his
constitutional rights, and he is entitled to an award of nominal
damages.
THIRD CLAIM FOR RELIEF
(Parental Rights Violation)
59. Plaintiffs hereby incorporate by reference all above-stated
paragraphs.
60. Defendants policy, practice, procedure, and/or custom of
funding and
implementing the Islam Simulation part of the Islam Course in
Excelsior infringes the rights of
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Plaintiffs Jonas Eklund and Tiffany Eklund in raising their
children according to the religion,
system of values, and moral norms they deem appropriate and
infringes their rights to the care,
custody, education of and association with their children, in
contravention of the First and
Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution and 42
U.S.C. 1983.
61. As a direct and proximate result of the Defendants violation
of the rights of
Plaintiffs Jonas Eklund and Tiffany Eklund, Plaintiffs Jonas
Eklund and Tiffany Eklund have
suffered irreparable harm, including the loss of their
constitutional rights, and they are entitled
to an award of nominal damages.
FOURTH CLAIM FOR RELIEF
(Free Exercise Clause Violation)
62. Plaintiffs hereby incorporate by reference all above-stated
paragraphs.
63. Defendants policy, practice, procedure, and/or custom of
funding and
implementing the Islam Simulation part of the Islam Course in
Excelsior violated the Free
Exercise Clause of the First Amendment of the United States
Constitution in that it
impermissibly and substantially burdened the free exercise right
of Plaintiff Samantha Eklund
therefore depriving Plaintiff Samantha Eklund of the rights
guaranteed to her under the First
Amendment to the United States Constitution as applied to the
states and their political
subdivisions under the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States
Constitution and 42 U.S.C.
1983.
64. As a direct and proximate result of the Defendants violation
of Plaintiff
Samantha Eklunds rights, Plaintiff Samantha Eklund has suffered
irreparable harm, including
the loss of her constitutional rights, and she is entitled to an
award of nominal damages.
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WHEREFORE, the Plaintiffs ask this Court:
A) to declare that the Defendants have violated the
Establishment Clause of the
United States Constitution by funding and implementing the Islam
Simulation part of the Islam
Course, as set forth in this Complaint;
B) to declare that the Defendants have violated the free
exercise rights under the
United States Constitution of Plaintiffs Chase Eklund and
Samantha Eklund, as set forth in this
Complaint;
C) to declare that the Defendants have violated the parental
rights under the United
States Constitution of Plaintiffs Jonas Eklund and Tiffany
Eklund by funding and implementing
the Islam Simulation part of the Islam Course, as set forth in
this Complaint;
D) to permanently enjoin the Defendants, their supervisors,
employees, agents, and
successors in office from funding and implementing the Islam
Simulation part of the Islam
Course, as set forth in this Complaint;
E) to award Plaintiffs nominal damages for violation of their
constitutional rights
pursuant to 42 U.S.C. 1983;
F) to award the Plaintiffs their reasonable attorneys fees,
costs, and expenses
pursuant to 42 U.S.C. 1988 and other applicable law;
G) to grant such other and further relief as this Court should
find just and proper.
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Respectfully submitted this 22nd day of April, 2003.
____________________________________
Richard Thompson, Esq.*
Edward L. White III, Esq.*
Robert J. Muise, Esq.*
Thomas More Law Center
3475 Plymouth Road, Suite 100
Ann Arbor, MI 48105-4778
(734) 827-2001; Fax: (734) 998-4778
*Admitted pro hac vice
Anthony Francois (CA Bar No. 184100) 1128 34
th Avenue
Sacramento, CA 95822
(916) 446-4647; Fax: (916) 446-1391
Local Counsel
Attorneys for Plaintiffs
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CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
I hereby certify that a true and correct copy of the foregoing
PLAINTIFFS FIRST
SUPPLEMENTAL COMPLAINT and attached exhibits was served pursuant
to Civil L.R. 5-
5(a)(1) on the following counsel of record on April 22, 2003, in
Ann Arbor, Michigan, by
placing said documents in an envelope and delivering by
pre-paid, First Class United
States Mail, to:
STEPHEN P. BERZON
LINDA LYE
Altshuler, Berzon, Nussbaum, Rubin & Demain
177 Post Street, Suite 300
San Francisco, CA 94108
Attorneys for Defendants
I declare under penalty of perjury that the foregoing is true
and correct. Executed on this 22nd
day of April, 2003, in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
______________________________
Nora Hudge