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Education

First the sticker, now yoga: Cobb schools in another religious fight

Assistant principal transferred over parents’ yoga complaints
Yoga in schools. (San Diego Union-Tribune)
Yoga in schools. (San Diego Union-Tribune)
By Ty Tagami
April 19, 2017

It’s been over a decade since the Cobb County School District laid the “sticker” issue to rest, but now it’s again caught up in a legal fight over religion in schools.

Back in 2002, Cobb decided to put a sticker in science textbooks that said evolution is "a theory, not a fact," plunging itself into a legal fight over the First Amendment prohibition on government endorsement of religion.

Now, the fight is renewed, this time over yoga.

Suit says Cobb schools 'capitulated' to Christians in yoga flap

An assistant principal filed a lawsuit in federal court this week claiming she was banished to a “lower-performing” school because she brought the practice to her elementary school and Christian parents complained. Her lawsuit notes that the district condoned Christian-themed emails, and hypocritically violated the First Amendment.

There are non-religious reasons for introducing yoga in schools, but experts say the question -- is yoga religious -- is a confounding one.

Certain Baptists, however, say the answer is clear.

ExploreRead more about this controversy, which could cost the district more than just reputation given the damages sought.

About the Author

Ty Tagami is a staff writer for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Since joining the newspaper in 2002, he has written about everything from hurricanes to homelessness. He has deep experience covering local government and education, and can often be found under the Gold Dome when lawmakers meet or in a school somewhere in the state.

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