CUMBERLAND COUNTY, Pa. — A lawsuit between four parents and the West Shore School District is advancing to federal court.
The lawsuit advanced from the Cumberland County Court of Common Pleas to the United States District Court of the Middle District of Pennsylvania on March 1 due to the parents alleging that their federally protected, constitutional rights have been violated.
The parents initially sued the district in February over complaints that their children were being forced through CharacterStrong curriculum, which allegedly violates their religious beliefs.
The program teaches empathy and compassion and "empower[s] (students) to become the best versions of themselves." It is taught to elementary and middle school students as "a partnership between schools and families to create a place where students feel like they belong and learn skills that will help them be the best they can be."
One parent's exemption request stated that "not every human is deserving of my child's empathy" and "school is no place for specific character building" but failed to point to a specific part of the CharacterStrong curriculum that violated the family's religious beliefs.
The school asked for the families to identify a specific part of the curriculum that violated their religious beliefs in order to exempt the children, in accordance with school board policy. When the parents were unable to do so, the school refused to honor the request.
The assistant superintendent encouraged one family to review the curriculum for themselves and see that it did not contain discussions related to gender identity or abortion, two concerns the parent did identify.
