Opinion ID: 749842
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: summary of facts and allegations

Text: 4 Rachel Bauchman was a sophomore at Salt Lake City's West High School during the 1994-95 school year. During that same year, Ms. Bauchman auditioned for and was admitted into Mr. Richard Torgerson's a capella choir class (the Choir), an elective course offered for credit. 5 By way of her original complaint and proposed amended complaint, Ms. Bauchman, who is Jewish, generally alleges Mr. Torgerson engaged for many years, and continues to engage, in the advocacy, promotion, endorsement and proselytizing of his [Mormon] religious beliefs and practices during his public school classes and Choir performances. More specifically, she claims (1) as a member of the Choir she was required to perform a preponderance of Christian devotional music; (2) Mr. Torgerson selected songs for the religious messages they conveyed; (3) the Choir was required to perform Christian devotional songs at religious sites dominated by crucifixes and other religious symbols; (4) Mr. Torgerson selected religious sites for Choir performances with the purpose and effect of publicly identifying the Choir with religious institutions; (5) Mr. Torgerson berated and ostracized students, like herself, who dissented against his religious advocacy; (6) Mr. Torgerson covertly organized a Choir tour for select Choir members to perform religious songs at religious venues in southern California; and (7) Mr. Torgerson deliberately scheduled the Choir to sing two explicitly Christian devotional songs during West High School's 1995 graduation. Ms. Bauchman also presents a long list of Mr. Torgerson's alleged unconstitutional practices as a public school teacher beginning some seventeen years prior to Ms. Bauchman's enrollment in his class. She alleges the remaining defendants 3 had knowledge of but consistently failed to take any effective measures to stop Mr. Torgerson from promoting religion in his Choir classes. 6 Ms. Bauchman left West High School and enrolled in a private school for the 1996-97 school year--her senior year. Although she expressed a desire to sing in the Choir during her senior year, she declined an invitation to audition for the 1996-97 Choir. In June 1997, subsequent to oral argument in this appeal, Ms. Bauchman graduated from high school. Hence, she will no longer have occasion to enroll in Salt Lake City public schools.