A new lawsuit challenges a chain of public charter schools in Arizona for their religious advocacy — which reportedly includes creationism. In a September 7, 2016, press release, Americans United for Separation of Church and State explained, "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."
The complaint contends (PDF, p. 18) that the schools use instructional materials that argue that there must be a Creator because the "mind ... will not accept the proposition that the forces of nature, churning about among themselves, would ever produce a watch, or even a lead pencil, let alone the marvelous intricacies of the human eye." Noting that the argument echoes that of Paley's Natural Theology, the complaint cites Kitzmiller v. Dover as "finding that arguments for 'intelligent design' are 'merely a restatement of the Reverend William Paley's argument' — a religious doctrine that cannot lawfully be taught in public schools."
According to the press release, "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" — who helped to litigate Kitzmiller v. Dover and is now a member of NCSE's board of directors — "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."