Federal Lawsuit Filed Against Heritage Academy

Press Release

Arizona Public Charter School Promotes Religion, Americans United Says In Lawsuit
Heritage Academy In Mesa And Other Communities Teaches Faith Instead of Government, Says Church-State Watchdog
Link to press release and website
Sep 7, 2016

A public charter school in Arizona is violating the U.S. Constitution and Arizona Constitution by pushing religion on students in its classes, Americans United for Separation of Church and State says.
In a federal lawsuit filed today, Americans United says that Heritage Academy, which has campuses in Mesa, Queen Creek and Laveen, uses a textbook in its mandatory American government class for seniors that teaches students religious concepts such as creationism, divine judgment after death and the Ten Commandments. The public charter school also teaches religious principles through other class curricula.
“Heritage Academy is a public charter school that receives money from taxpayers,” said the Rev. Barry W. Lynn, executive director of Americans United. “That means it cannot force faith onto its students. Rather than teaching the U.S. Constitution in government classes, Heritage Academy is violating the constitutional mandate of separation of church and state.”

In its lawsuit, Americans United explains that the Heritage government-class curriculum is rooted in religion. Students are required to use the textbook Proclaim Liberty Throughout all the Land, which teaches that God created all life, is the source of all proper law, intervenes in human affairs and responds to prayer. The book also claims that democracy in the United States will perish if Americans do not accept a “universal religion” based on Christianity. This book is published by the National Center for Constitutional Studies, a group founded by Earl Taylor Jr., Heritage’s principal, who is known for his insistence that the United States was founded on “biblical principles.”
Americans United notes that students are not merely asked to read religious material. They are also subjected to verbal religious instruction, are forced to memorize religious principles, and are given homework and tests on those concepts.

Beyond that, students are even encouraged to proselytize.
“In a transparent attempt to proselytize the school’s religious views, Heritage Academy students are further taught that they are duty-bound to implement and instruct others about these religious and religiously based principles in order to restore the United States to ‘freedom, prosperity, and peace,’” Americans United asserts in the lawsuit.
The plaintiffs in this case are an anonymous parent, who has at least one child attending Heritage Academy, and the Rev. David Felten, head pastor of The Fountains, a United Methodist Church in Fountain Hills, Ariz.
The lawsuit, Doe v. Heritage Academy, is being litigated by Americans United Legal Director Richard B. Katskee and AU Madison Fellow Carmen Green, John Nadolenco and Kristin Silverman of Mayer Brown LLP and Roopali Desai and D. Andy Gaona of Coppersmith Brockelman PLC.

Americans United is a religious liberty watchdog group based in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1947, the organization educates Americans about the importance of church-state separation in safeguarding religious freedom.

 

 

 

Tags: 

Heritage Academy, Charter Schools, Arizona, National Center for Constitutional Studies

Issues: 

Creationism & Evolution, Bibles and Religious Texts in Curricula, Other Issues regarding Religion in Schools and Universities

Is This "The Dish" ? Putting It Out There To A Passive Audience> Can You Take It?

Everyone seems to hate online reader comments. Here’s why I treasure them.
By Margaret Sullivan Media Columnist Washington Post 

Style September 4

 

Ms. Sullivan [to quote] "I find value in reader comments that can’t be adequately reproduced elsewhere. The argument that the conversation has migrated to Facebook and Twitter is flawed. Those are good places for discussion, but they are no substitute for having discussion take place where the story itself lives. I’m convinced that many smart readers with something to contribute will not follow a story onto social media to talk about it. News organizations should fix online comments rather than ditch them.

They need fixing, for sure ..."

Of course, I also got response on Twitter and Facebook, and in an endless flow of emails, but commenters provided some of the most thoughtful feedback and discussion. . .
They can be pretty snarky as well as good-natured. . . for example, this comment from one Humahumahummus1: “Oh honey, that was the end game all along. You need to be quicker than that. The rest of us could see it coming a mile away.” I’ve also been called every nickname for Margaret — and I’ve been called a few other choice names, too.
But I find the feedback worth having. It’s far different — certainly more varied — than response on Twitter, where many journalists congregate to talk shop, or on Facebook, which can become an echo chamber of like-minded friends reinforcing one another’s beliefs. . .

These platforms are clearly providing us greater access to new audiences, but they’ve also made it easier than ever to insulate ourselves from ideas that differ from our own,” said Amanda Zamora, chief audience officer for the Texas Tribune, who spoke last week at a Poynter Institute confab on 10 years of participatory journalism.
She took it further: “By abandoning comments, news organizations are not only giving up an important role in shaping public discourse — they are giving up a key avenue toward having direct, sustainable relationships with their audiences.”

But at a time when many news organizations are struggling to survive, improving comments is worthwhile work. They can help build community, right on our own sites, and finally get past the idea of readers as passive audiences who have to take what we dish out.

For more by Margaret Sullivan visit wapo.st/sullivan

IT Consultants In Mesa, AZ | Apogee Compliance Group Inc

Published on Aug 29, 2016

Views: 4

http://apogeemsp.com/ A locally owned and operated business here in Mesa, AZ, Apogee Compliance Group, Inc. offers the best IT support for Mesa, Gilbert, Chandler and Scottsdale. Our skilled technicians have years of experience and knowledge keeping your business’s IT system up and running properly. We have a great reputation for dealing with any and all IT problems your business may encounter, and we have cloud solutions, backup and disaster recovery, and cyber security protection. You can count on us to keep your company’s and client’s information safe and secure.
Our cyber security solutions are comprehensive, and we can provide prevention solutions, network analysis and system restoration after a cyber breach. Our cyber storage can help you store extensive information on a cloud system, and if you have lost data we can assist with data backup and recovery. Our IT management is customizable, and we can design our services so they fit both large and small businesses depending on your needs. We know that watching your network around the clock is necessary with all the possible threats out there, and we are proud to provide the hardware you need to keep your system secure.

Apogee Compliance Group Inc.
1635 N. Greenfield Rd. Mesa, AZ 85205
480-397-0265

More information
Apogee Compliance Group Inc. Partners with BizIQ
This press release was orginally distributed by ReleaseWire
Mesa, AZ -- (ReleaseWire) -- 09/06/2016 -- Apogee Compliance Group Inc., a local cyber security firm that works with a number of area businesses, announced today that it has entered into a partnership with BizIQ, a Phoenix-based digital marketing company that works with small businesses across North America.

In teaming up with BizIQ, Apogee Compliance Group Inc. hopes to grow its customer base through an improved online presence and improve its approach to marketing its IT security services. BizIQ's approach centers on search engine optimization, which boosts the rankings of clients like the IT consultants in Mesa, AZ in local Google search results. BizIQ is also creating a new website for Apogee Compliance Group Inc., which will include twice-monthly blog posts and facilitate better and easier interaction between the cyber security firm and its customers.
Read more: http://m.digitaljournal.com/pr/3061293#ixzz4JZZNx0Jd

About Apogee

Cyber Security Company in Mesa, AZ
When your network infrastructure is under attack from malicious sources, you need the assistance of a skilled cyber security company in Mesa, AZ to restore your system. At Apogee Compliance Group, Inc., we have significant experience in both prevention and restoration, working hard to keep our clients from suffering from cyber-attacks and making the necessary repairs and adjustments if a system is compromised.

 Prevention: As the saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. We implement a variety of firewalls, virus scanners and other security features to make sure your network benefits from the strongest protection we can offer from malicious attacks

Network analysis: We closely analyze your entire network to pinpoint potential vulnerabilities long before they are ever exploited by attackers. This ensures you are constantly staying protected from outside attacks.

System restoration: Whenever your system is under attack from malware such as Trojans, viruses, ransomware and adware, we are able to solve the problem quickly and efficiently so you can get back to business as usual. Without the assistance of a professional, some of these types of malware could otherwise cripple your network and your hardware.

Sophos security: We use Sophos security solutions in our work, which have received rave reviews from tech experts. Their slogan is “security made simple,” and it’s true—we’re able to give you simple security management of your network at all times so you can take charge of your IT security

Source: http://apogeemsp.com/services/

Channel Change > SKIN & BEADS | Celebrity Buzz (Politics So Boring . . . Or Is it? LOL)

Marilyn's 'Happy Birthday' gown going to auction in the fall 
By ULA ILNYTZKY Associated Press 24 min ago

NEW YORK (AP) — The flesh-colored, skin-tight beaded gown Marilyn Monroe wore during her breathless rendition of "Happy Birthday" to President John F. Kennedy is going on the auction block this fall.

Julien's Auctions is offering the sequined stunner at a sale in Los Angeles on Nov. 17.

The auction house believes the gown could fetch $2 million to $3 million.

The sultry actress wore the barely-there dress at Kennedy's 45th birthday celebration at Madison Square Garden on May 19, 1962. Made of silk gauze and covered in thousands of rhinestone beads and sequins, the Jean Louis dress was so form-fitting that Monroe had to be sewn into it.

She died less than three months later of an overdose of sleeping pills at age 36. Kennedy died the following year. . .
Read more >> here
 

  

China, ConnectingWith You

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Get To Know District 6 Mesa City Council Member Kevin Thompson

New Series of featured posts on members of the Mesa City Council that are not up for election in 2016
District 4 Christopher Glover
District 5 David Luna
District 6 Kevin Thompson

One year and eight months after taking his seat in city government what has Kevin Thompson delivered for District 6?
Not your typical background for a public elected official . . .

Published on Jan 22, 2015

Views: 42

An introduction of new District 6 Councilmember Kevin
Thompson of Mesa, Arizona