CA Bill: Fire Educators Who Teach "Untruths" About Terrorism

California Assemblyman Chuck DeVore (R-Irvine) has introduced a bill in the state legislature that would prohibit teachers "from teaching untruths about extremist terror networks." Teachers found in violation of the act could be fired.

Assembly Bill 137 would also authorize the firing of any public employee who belongs to an "extremist terrorist network" or donates money to one.

The bill would amend an existing statute passed in the 1950s that prohibited membership in the communist party.

DeVore began thinking about the necessity of such a bill when he came across the now antiquated legislation aimed at communists. He said in a press release that "We should act to update our laws before someone uses a position of trust in state government to facilitate a dirty bomb attack on a California port, or uses a position of authority at a state university to recruit students into service of a violent and hateful cause."

Excerpts from the legislation:

Existing law prohibits a teacher from giving instruction and prohibits a school district from sponsoring any activity that reflects adversely upon a person because of his or her race, sex, color, creed, handicap, national origin, or ancestry.

This bill would additionally prohibit a teacher from giving instruction in a school or on property belonging to an agency included in the public school system from teaching untruths about extremist terror networks, as defined. The bill would delete obsolete provisions regarding communism.

(4) Under existing law, a public employee may be dismissed if he or she advocates or is knowingly a member of an organization which during the time of his or her membership the employee knows advocates overthrow of the Government of the United States or of any state by force or violence. Under existing law, a public employee is required to answer, under oath, specified questions, including, but not limited to, knowing membership in an organization advocating the forceful or violent overthrow of the Government of the United States or of any state.

This bill would additionally provide that a public employee may be dismissed if he or she advocates or is knowingly a member of an extremist terror network, as defined, or a financial supporter of an extremist terror network. The bill would require a public employee to answer, under oath, specified questions, including, but not limited to, knowing membership in, or financial support of, an extremist terror network. The bill would delete obsolete provisions regarding knowing membership in the Communist Party.

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