Yacovelli v. Moeser
United States District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina
324 F. Supp. 2d 760 (2004)
- Written by Jennifer Flinn, JD
Facts
The University of North Carolina (UNC) conducted a freshmen orientation program prior to the beginning of classes. One purpose of the program, among several, was to promote critical thinking and discussion among students around a specific topic. During the 2002 orientation program, UNC assigned portions of a book about the Qur’an for students to read. Initially, UNC required all incoming freshmen to read the book and write a paper about the book. Later, UNC revised the assignment to allow students who had a religious objection to the book to write a paper discussing why they chose not to read the book. The papers were collected but not graded, and students were to attend a discussion group about the assignment with other students who may, or may not, have read the book. Certain incoming freshmen (students) (plaintiffs) filed a lawsuit, alleging that UNC violated their constitutional rights by assigning a book that positively portrayed Islam.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Tilley, C.J.)
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