{"id":846604,"date":"2021-10-04T20:14:08","date_gmt":"2021-10-05T00:14:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=846604"},"modified":"2021-10-04T20:14:13","modified_gmt":"2021-10-05T00:14:13","slug":"california-parents-sue-to-end-unconstitutional-chant-to-aztec-gods-in-ethnic-studies-curriculum","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/california-parents-sue-to-end-unconstitutional-chant-to-aztec-gods-in-ethnic-studies-curriculum\/","title":{"rendered":"California Parents Sue To End \u2018Unconstitutional\u2019 Chant To Aztec Gods In \u2018Ethnic Studies\u2019 Curriculum"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">28<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fcalifornia-parents-sue-to-end-unconstitutional-chant-to-aztec-gods-in-ethnic-studies-curriculum%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=846604&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/GettyImages-525373639-e1633387759893.jpg?w=1200&amp;h=800&amp;ixlib=react-9.3.0\" class=\"ff-og-image-inserted\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span>According to reports, three California parents are suing to stop the state\u2019s public school system from encouraging students to recite prayers to Aztec gods, which have been worshipped using human sacrifices. Their argument is that doing so violates both the U.S. and California constitutions.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cThe issue emerged earlier this year when researcher Chris Rufo reported on that particular aspect of the state\u2019s ethnic studies curriculum,\u201d <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/us\/california-students-pray-aztec-gods-school-lawsuit\"><span>Fox News<\/span><\/a><span> reported, adding that \u201cthe curriculum suggests chants that invoke the deity [Tezcatlipoca].\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Tezcatlipoca is an Aztec god \u201chonored\u201d using human sacrifices. The <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ancient.eu\/Tezcatlipoca\/\"><span>World History Encyclopedia<\/span><\/a><span> explained that the heart of an impersonator of Tezcatlipoca \u2014 usually played by a prisoner of war \u2014 would be removed with an obsidian knife, and presented as a sacrifice.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>The parents are being represented by The Thomas More Society, a group that described the curriculum as \u201cblatantly unconstitutional\u201d in court documents.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cOur clients are not opposed to having students learn about different cultures and religions, including the practices of the Aztecs,\u201d said Paul Jonna, partner at LiMandri &amp; Jonna LLP and Thomas More Society special counsel. \u201cBut the California State Board of Education\u2019s approved Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum goes far beyond that by directing students to pray to Aztec deities. This portion of the Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum is not only offensive, but blatantly unconstitutional.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cThe Aztecs regularly performed gruesome and horrific acts for the sole purpose of pacifying and appeasing the very beings that the prayers from the curriculum invoke,\u201d Jonna <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/news\/article-10042959\/Parents-sue-California-public-school-unconstitutional-chant-Aztec-deities.html\"><span>said<\/span><\/a><span>. \u201cOur clients have both a religious and civic objection to the Aztec prayer, and they do not want their children chanting it, being asked or pressured to do so, or risking ostracism if they refuse.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cBoth the California and the United States Constitutions prohibit prayer in public schools,\u201d he added. \u201cCan you imagine if elements of the Christian faith were proposed to be included in the public school curriculum? What if a class incorporated praying to the Blessed Virgin Mary, or even reciting the Lord\u2019s Prayer? How would that be received?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>The California Board of Education and Department of Education are listed as defendants in the lawsuit, which seeks a temporary restraining order that would prevent \u201cDefendants from authorizing, promoting or permitting the use of Aztec prayers and the \u2018Ashe\u2019 chant in California\u2019s public schools and also requiring Defendants to direct those under their authority not to use the Aztec prayer or \u2018Ashe\u2019 chant in public schools.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Fox News explained that \u201cUnder the curriculum\u2019s \u2018Lesson Resources,\u2019 the [California Department of Education] lays out the chant and more generally defends chants as \u2018energizers\u2019 that can bring unity.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cThis section includes several ethnic studies-oriented chants, proverbs and affirmations,\u201d the document reads. \u201cThese can be used as energizers to bring the class together, build unity around ethnic studies principles and values, and to reinvigorate the class following a lesson that may be emotionally taxing or even when student engagement may appear to be low.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>The \u201cethnic studies curriculum\u201d was approved to be taught across all public schools in the state earlier this year, and looks to teach students about the \u201c<\/span><span>histories, struggles and contributions of Asian, Black, Latino and Native Americans.\u201d The chant to Aztec gods forms a part of Chapter 5 of the curriculum, titled, \u201cAffirmation, Chants, and Energizers.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u2018The curriculum\u2019s unequivocal promotion of Aztec gods or deities through repetitive chanting and affirmation of their symbolic principles constitutes an unlawful government preference toward a particular religious practice,\u2019 said President of Californians for Equal Rights Foundation, Frank Xu, in a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/thomasmoresociety.org\/california-department-of-education-sued-for-curriculum-that-has-students-praying-to-aztec-gods\/\"><span>statement<\/span><\/a><span>.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span>The Daily Wire is one of America\u2019s fastest-growing conservative media companies and counter-cultural outlets for news, opinion, and entertainment. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a<\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/subscribe\"><i><span> member<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span>.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>According to reports, three California parents are suing to stop the state\u2019s public school system from encouraging students to recite prayers to Aztec gods, which have been worshipped using human &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2315279,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-846604","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/846604","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=846604"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/846604\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2315279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=846604"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=846604"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=846604"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}