Cases

Student at Tarrant County College

Summary

A student at Tarrant County College in Arlington, Texas, was instructed to write a personal reaction essay to a piece of literature for her English Composition class. She chose “How do I love thee” by Elizabeth Barrett Browning and quoted I Corinthians 13 in her essay. The professor deducted points because of the scripture, instructing the student to “Avoid this in academic essays.” The professor also told the class they should have already learned to omit religious beliefs from essays, stating “it is not fair to single out one God.” The student referenced Biblical concepts in her second paper and again had points deducted. ADF sent a demand letter to the University and the College responded that they had counseled the professor about her responsibility to respect the constitutional right to religious freedom and had restored the students grade.

Details

Institution: Tarrant County College

Location: Arlington, TX

Topic: Speech Code

Intervention: Non-litigation

Outcome: Victory

FREE SPEECH IN DIVIDED TIMES: THE PROBLEM OR THE SOLUTION?