ORANGE COUNTY VOICES: CLASSROOM CONTROVERSY : Deviating From the Curriculum Guide Is Wrong : If John Peloza cannot follow the state and district rules, perhaps he should move to a religious school.

John Peloza, a Capistrano Valley High School teacher, signed a contract agreeing to teach the state and district science curriculum. Yet he insists, in violation of the curriculum guide, on bringing his creationist views into the classroom, where they have muddied the academic waters, confused students, divided the faculty, and forced the district to spend scarce funds in defense of separation of church and state.

Peloza says he has “discovered a flaw in evolutionist thinking.” If he has discovered such a flaw, and that is unlikely, it is appropriate to publish his finding. The journal “Evolution” might be a good place to start.

Alternatively, he might reveal his findings to the Department of Evolutionary Biology at UC Irvine, where there are qualified people to make these observations. Peloza has, for the most part, limited his communication on the matter to religious radio talk shows and his high school classes. Peloza’s views would likely be ridiculed by competent scientists. He sticks to arguing with 16-year-olds and preaching to the converted on radio. Why not present his “proof” to scientists?

Perhaps Peloza shies away from confrontation with qualified professionals because his scientific training is very limited. Although he is qualified to teach high school biology, his background does not qualify him to make changes in the prescribed curriculum pursuant to his “discoveries.” I’m sure most Americans would agree, especially knowing that his students will enter a system of higher education that rejects his view. In short, he should be preparing his students for college, not undermining their understanding of what the state curriculum guide calls the “single unifying theory of biology.”

When this issue hit the local press after Peloza was reprimanded by the administration for allegedly failing to follow the specified curriculum, the student newspaper, of which I am the adviser, asked Peloza to write a piece outlining his position. A student writer wrote a response. After the student’s opinion piece was published, I received a letter from Peloza’s attorney at the Rutherford Institute demanding a retraction of the student-written editorial and a personal apology for “defaming” Peloza. Failure to comply, the letter said, would result in legal action.

I talked the matter over with the student writer and the editor, explaining that, as the piece was a fair, accurate and truthful editorial clearly labeled “opinion,” we had nothing to worry about and that we would not meet the demands. I also had to reassure a very shaken 17-year-old that she had done nothing wrong.

After 14 years teaching journalism law at the university level, I knew the charge was ludicrous, and I was angry that a faculty member would place a student in such a stressful situation.

It isn’t easy for teen-agers to stand up to adults, much less to teachers. After looking into the issue, I found this was not the first time Peloza had allowed his views to confuse and even hurt students as well as damage the academic climate.

Students have reported that Peloza invited them to his house for creation science discussions, complete with Bible and prayer. Some students have told me they felt their grades would suffer if they failed to attend. I wonder how many students would have attended those sessions if Peloza had approached them on the street as a stranger instead of in a public school classroom as a trusted teacher? No student should need wonder if attendance at a religious-oriented after-school session might influence a grade.

Peloza has handed out Bibles to students during school hours. Few students would insult a teacher by refusing such a gift, but I wonder how most Americans would feel if Peloza was handing out the Koran instead of the Bible?

More important, some of the students to whom he gave Bibles were not Christians. I can’t believe most parents want high school teachers trying to influence the religious education of their children.

Peloza told a Jewish student, during the school day, that the Bible says she will go to hell unless she embraces Jesus as her savior. (Peloza denies he said that.) The student was very upset. Teachers have no business making judgments on the religious convictions of their students.

The leadership of the Capistrano Unified School District and Capistrano Valley High School, by any measure, has produced one of the finest schools in Southern California. For Peloza’s supporters to characterize these good people as “anti-Christian,” and they have, is to question unfairly the convictions of these people. I might add that the vast majority of the administration and faculty are churchgoing Christians, although that is beside the point.

If Peloza cannot in good conscience follow the rules set down by the state and the district for teaching biology, I’m sure there are many religious schools that would welcome his views. I hope he decides to move to such a school.

When schools are being forced to cut budgets, the little money we have should be going to education, not for legal defense against teachers who refuse, for religious reasons, to abide by their contracts.