The Freedom From Religion Foundation stepped in to defend the rights of students to be free from religious indoctrination when a Vista Unified School District teacher used his position to teach religious beliefs, including creationism, as facts.

A concerned district parent reported that a middle school science teacher at Vista Innovation and Design Academy (VIDA) was teaching religiously motivated intelligent design content in class. The parent-complainant stated that at the beginning of the 2025–26 school year, the teacher told students that he was “a man of faith” and “declared his intentions to teach them religiously motivated content,” with the parent adding that the teacher “went as far as to tell the children that he finds the Big Bang theory to be problematic.” Further, at a back-to-school event, he reportedly displayed his bible to parents to “show his faith.”

The teacher was teaching the students “sacred geometry” and “related spiritual concepts as scientific fact.” Sacred geometry is the belief that certain geometric shapes, patterns and proportions found in nature and civilization contain symbolic, sacred and religious meaning. The concept is a belief associated with creationism, intelligent design and divine creation. “Sacred geometry” is not a scientific or evidence-based theory or fact, but rather a religious belief.

FFRF learned that the parent-complainant and other parents expressed concerns to the school’s administration regarding the science teacher’s unconstitutional actions, but the administrators did not take appropriate action, citing the teacher’s “academic freedom.” Reportedly, Vista Innovation and Design Academy moved several students to a different science class in response to parent complaints, allowing the teacher to continue presenting religious content in place of an actual science-based curriculum. FFRF’s complainant explained their desire for their children to be taught a proper, evidence-based science curriculum and was alarmed that the school thought it was acceptable to allow a teacher to present alternative religious ideas to children as scientific fact.

FFRF stepped in to remind the district of its duty to remain secular.

“The district has an obligation under the law to make certain that its teachers are not violating students’ rights by proselytizing or pushing their personal religious beliefs on students in the guise of science class,” FFRF Staff Attorney Sammi Lawrence wrote to the district. 

Parents, not public schools, have the constitutional right to determine their children’s religious or nonreligious upbringing, FFRF emphasized. A science teacher telling students that the Big Bang theory is “problematic” and teaching wholly spiritual concepts like “sacred geometry” to students undoubtedly interferes with parents’ rights to control their children’s religious education. Moreover, promoting creationism, intelligent design or any of its offshoots in public schools is unlawful because creationism is based solely on religion, not scientific fact. Additionally, the science teacher, and thus the district, was displaying blatant favoritism toward Christianity, sending the clear message to students that the district favored religion over nonreligion, and Christianity above all other faiths. The teacher’s actions needlessly marginalized and excluded those students, such as our complainant’s child, who have no religious affiliation, today constituting 45 percent of 18- to 29-year-olds.

Vista Unified School District Assistant Superintendent Rachel D’Ambroso responded to FFRF in a letter informing it of an investigation in response to the violation. According to D’Ambroso, the district took corrective actions, including reviewing relevant contract provisions with the principal and reinforcing compliance with board policies related to the Constitution. “These policies ensure that science instruction remains aligned with district-adopted curriculum and state standards, and that religious or philosophical content is not promoted in science classes,” she wrote. 

FFRF is glad to see students’ rights being brought back into focus in the district.

“A public school science teacher using his position to preach creationism is the antithesis of the job he was hired for,” FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor said. “Public school students deserve  a secular education and to understand evolution, and we’re pleased the district has taken corrective action.” 

The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a national nonprofit organization with over 42,000 members and several chapters nationwide, including more than 5,300 members and two chapters in California. FFRF’s purposes are to protect the constitutional principle of separation between church and state and to educate the public on matters relating to nontheism.

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