God, American History and a Fifth-Grade Class
By DEAN E. MURPHY
Published: December 5, 2004
SAN FRANCISCO — Steven J. Williams, an evangelical Christian who teaches fifth grade at a public school in Cupertino, Calif., is fast becoming a folk hero among conservative Christians....
***
More than a year ago, the principal, Patricia Vidmar, had advised Mr. Williams - a self-described "orthodox Christian" - that she worried he "would try to proselytize his Christian faith to the students in his classroom," according to a federal lawsuit filed two weeks ago on Mr. Williams's behalf by Alliance Defense Fund, a conservative Christian group based in Arizona....
***
What has ensued has opened a window on the increasingly high-pitched struggle taking place in a number of schools across the country over how much God should be taught in American history, a battle that has raged for many years but is intensifying as conservative groups feel invigorated in pushing their viewpoint and as defenders of a more secular approach are put more on the defensive....
***
Barred from his classroom, Mr. Williams said, were handouts with excerpts from the Declaration of Independence, the "Right of the Colonists" by Samuel Adams, and the 1682 "Frame of Government of Pennsylvania" by William Penn. Also rejected were excerpts from George Washington's prayer journal and a handout titled, "Fact Sheet: Currency & Coins History of 'In God We Trust.' "...
***
School officials say none of the historical documents, or their underlying principles, have been banned from classrooms, only that Mr. Williams's use of them has been restricted. "No teacher has been stopped from passing out the Declaration of Independence," said Andy Mortensen, an assistant superintendent....
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/05/weekinreview/05murp.html