Appeals court upholds South Carolina district's policy on off-campus religious classes

From The Spartanburg Herald Journal: A federal appeals court has ruled that Spartanburg (S.C.) School District 7's policy regarding off-campus religious education classes is constitutional. A suit filed in 2009 by two parents of district students and the Freedom From Religion Foundation contended that a district policy allowing students to receive academic credit for off-campus religious instruction by private educators is an endorsement of religion and a violation of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. The district has maintained that its policy is based on a South Carolina law that allows two elective credits for released time religious instruction as long as the students are evaluated using secular criteria.