Opinion ID: 2086814
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: demonstration of undue burden

Text: The next prong of our inquiry is if, and to what extent, the individual's rights of free exercise of religion have been burdened by the regulation, i. e., the compulsory school attendance law. The applicable standard of this prong of the inquiry was succinctly stated in Abington School Dist. v. Schempp, 374 U.S. 203, 223, 83 S.Ct. 1560, 1572, 10 L.Ed.2d 844, 858 (1963): [I]t is necessary in a free exercise case for one to show the coercive effect of the enactment as it operates against him in the practice of his religion. (Emphasis added.) In Yoder, the United States Supreme Court determined that Wisconsin's requirement of compulsory formal education beyond the eighth grade would gravely endanger, if not destroy, the free exercise of the Amish parents' religious beliefs. 406 U.S. at 219, 92 S.Ct. at 1535. The Amish mode of life in a church-oriented, rural community, separated from the outside world and all worldly influences, had remained virtually unchanged for centuries. The record in Yoder revealed that the Amish objected to formal education beyond the eighth grade. They believed that the values transmitted to their children through secondary school education were in marked variance with Amish values. The Amish objected to all forms of secondary education and viewed such education as an impermissible exposure of their children to a `worldly' influence in conflict with their beliefs. 406 U.S. at 211, 92 S.Ct. at 1531. The record indicated that the Amish had no objection to elementary education through the eighth grade because they recognized that their children needed the basic skills (three R's) in order to function in society. Further, a basic education was deemed to be an insignificant exposure to worldly values. Id. at 212, 92 S.Ct. at 1531. The Court in Yoder said: So long as compulsory education laws were confined to eight grades of elementary basic education imparted in a nearby rural school house, with a large proportion of students of the Amish faith, the Old Order Amish had little basis to fear that school attendance would expose their children to the worldly influence they reject. But modern compulsory secondary education in rural areas is now largely carried on in a consolidated school, often remote from the student's home and alien to his daily home life. As the record so strongly shows, the values and programs of the modern secondary school are in sharp conflict with the fundamental mode of life mandated by the Amish religion; modern laws requiring compulsory secondary education have accordingly engendered great concern and conflict. The conclusion is inescapable that secondary schooling, by exposing Amish children to worldly influences in terms of attitudes, goals, and values contrary to beliefs, and by substantially interfering with the religious development of the Amish child and his integration into the way of life of the Amish faith community at the crucial adolescent stage of development, contravenes the basic religious tenets and practice of the Amish faith, both as to the parent and the child. (Emphasis added.) 406 U.S. at 217-18, 92 S.Ct. at 1534. The Yoder Court thereafter determined that the impact of Wisconsin's compulsory school attendance law on Amish religious practices was severe and inescapable because the law required the Amish parents to perform acts undeniably at odds with fundamental tenets of their religious beliefs. 406 U.S. at 218, 92 S.Ct. at 1534. A close examination of the record to determine the effect of the requirements for state approval upon the religious practices of the parents sending their children to the Bible Baptist School fails to reveal an impact of similar magnitude. The analysis of any claim of an infringement upon the free exercise of religion must focus on the actual burden imposed by the particular regulation or regulations. It is incumbent upon the challenger to the statute to show the coercive effect of the enactment on the practice of religion. See Abington School Dist. v. Schempp, supra . The degree of the burden on the religious practice is an important consideration which the United States Supreme Court in Yoder went to great lengths to emphasize. The Supreme Court distinctly pointed out that compulsory school attendance for the Amish beyond the eighth grade would not merely offend important Amish religious tenets from a subjective point of view, but would pose a very real threat of undermining the Amish community and religious practice as they exist today. 406 U.S. at 218, 92 S.Ct. at 1534. It is incumbent upon the parents to demonstrate the manner in which the state's minimum requirements or standards for state approval infringe upon the free exercise of their religious liberty. In this case, the parents' contention is that in requiring the school to seek approval of the County Superintendent of Schools and the Superintendent of Public Instruction, their right to free exercise of religion is unduly infringed. North Dakota's compulsory school attendance law, Chapter 15-34.1, N.D.C.C., provides that if an educable child between the ages of seven and sixteen years does not fall under the provisions of Sections 15-34. 1-02 or 15-34.1-03, N.D.C.C. said child must attend a public school. Section 15-34.1-01, N.D.C.C. Section 15-34.1-02, N.D. C.C., provides an exception for deaf, blind, or mentally deficient children and is not applicable to this appeal. Section 15-34.1-03, however, is relevant and in pertinent part provides as follows: 15-34.1-03. Compulsory attendanceExceptions. The parent, guardian, or other person having control of a child required to attend school by the provisions of this chapter shall be excused by the school board from causing the child to attend school whenever it shall be shown to the satisfaction of the board, subject to appeal as provided by law, that one of the following reasons exists: 1. That the child is in attendance for the same length of time at a parochial or private school approved by the county superintendent of schools and the superintendent of public instruction. No such school shall be approved unless the teachers therein are legally certificated in the state of North Dakota in accordance with section 15-41-25 and chapter 15-36, the subjects offered are in accordance with sections 15-38-07, 15-41-06, and 15-41-24, and such school is in compliance with all municipal and state health, fire and safety laws. § 15-34.1-03(1), N.D.C.C. The language of the regulation challenged is facially neutral; however, the pertinent inquiry under Yoder is whether or not [a] regulation neutral on its face may, in its application, nonetheless offend the constitutional requirement for governmental neutrality if it unduly burdens the free exercise of religion. 406 U.S. at 220, 92 S.Ct. at 1536. To obtain state approval of a private or parochial school in North Dakota, a school must meet the following minimum requirements set forth in Section 15-34.1-03(1), N.D.C.C., namely: (1) The teachers must be legally certified in the state of North Dakota in accordance with Section 15-41-25 [4] and Chapter 15-36, N.D.C.C.; (2) The subjects offered must be in accordance with Sections 15-38-07, 15-41-06, and 15-41-24, N.D.C.C.; and (3) The school must be in compliance with all municipal and state health, fire, and safety laws. The record reveals that the tenets of the Bible Baptist Church do not forbid a public school education. Pastor Bledsoe's testimony indicates that it is not a basic violation of the doctrinal beliefs of the Bible Baptist Church of Bismarck for a church member to send a child to a secular school. The record further reveals that Defendant Steinwand's child attended public school through the first grade and into the second grade until such time as Steinwand became dissatisfied with the education and values received by his boy in the public school system. Although the tenets of the Bible Baptist Church do not forbid public school education, the Church is vehemently opposed to securing state approval required by state law. No attempt was made at the trial to show how compliance with the law would affect the religion of the parents or their children. Of principal concern and discussion at the trial was the requirement that teachers be certified in North Dakota in order for a parochial or private school to obtain state approval. The Bible Baptist School employs no certified teachers and the ACE curriculum requires no teacher certification. The basic and fundamental requirement to teach at the church school is that a teacher be, in Pastor Bledsoe's words, saved and born again. A perusal of the record, however, fails to disclose a deeply-rooted religious conviction against the use of certified teachers in the Bible Baptist School. The following colloquy between Pastor Bledsoe and the state's attorney on cross-examination reveals the absence of such conviction: Q. Is there anything that would prohibitthat would keep a certified teacher from instructing in the method that you have right now? A. With the particular curriculum we have, it in fact could be done with a certified teacher. The particular requirements of itthat would require a teacherthey require a supervisor and monitors trained according to accelerated Christian guidelines, and those supervisors and monitors have been trained in that fashion. Q. But the actual instruction could be conducted by a certified teacher without violating the basic tenets of your religion, isn't that correct? A. If that certified teacheragain with the basic requirements for being an instructor in the school is for a person to be saved and born again. Q. Okay. Saved and born again. If I could use that as a shorthand, that would be someone who practices your faith or a faith substantially similar? A. It's a person who at one time recognized they were a sinner and needed the Lord Jesus Christ, the savior, and one time in their life they invited Christ to come in, and that experience is real. Q. And it would be possible for a college graduate to be saved and born again? A. There are a lot of college graduates that are saved and born again. Q. It would be possible for a certified teacher to be saved and born again? A. Right. Q. And I would presume that there are numerous certified teachers who are saved and born again? A. I'm sure there are. Counsel for the defendants has strongly argued that because the students are presently receiving a good education, the teacher certification requirement is unwarranted. A person to be certified must have certain educational training. See especially Chapter 15-36, N.D.C.C., for grade school teachers. We recognize that certification does not necessarily equate with teaching competence in every instance, but we believe it is a reasonable tool and one which the Legislature may utilize in attempting to assure not only for the present, but for the future, quality education for all children in conjunction with carrying out the mandate of the state constitution. The second requirement for state approval is that subjects offered must include those set forth in the statutes. None are of a religious nature and none are contended to be. The record in the instant case is devoid of evidence to show that the tenets of the Bible Baptist Church forbid the teaching of courses prescribed by any statute. The ACE curriculum, which is utilized by the Bible Baptist School, is a nationally-recognized and widely used program, employed by approximately 3,000 church schools throughout the country. The record indicates that Ronald C. Stastney, Director of Elementary Education for the Department of Public Instruction, was of the opinion that the ACE curriculum would meet state curriculum requirements, and Stastney's testimony on direct examination is supportive of this statement: Q. Sir, in closing, would you say it would be a fair statement to make, just to summarize what we have been talking about, when we're talking aboutyou say the problem with this particular school, these particular defendants is they have noncertified teachers, that the curriculum as far as you can seethe ACE curriculumis substantial in nature, and if you have someone there who could somehow give it to these children, then it would be approvable? A. Yes. It is, therefore, highly unlikely that the ACE program would be affected in the process of securing approval of the school. The final requirement for state approval of a parochial or private school is compliance with all municipal and state health, fire, and safety laws. No assertion has been made that this requirement impinges on the defendants' free exercise of religion, nor does the record reveal whether or not the Bible Baptist School is complying with such laws. It appears that while the principles, beliefs, and doctrines held in common by members of the Bible Baptist Church oppose the essential requisite that the Bible Baptist School obtain state approval in order to comply with the compulsory school attendance law, the tenets of their religion do not forbid compliance with any of the specific requirements needed to obtain that approval. Pursuant to Section 15-34.1-03, N.D.C.C., a parochial or private school must be approved by the County Superintendent of Schools and the Superintendent of Public Instruction. As the parents have failed to show that the tenets of their religion forbid compliance with the specific requirements needed to obtain state approval, it is difficult for us to understand their objection to seeking approval. Nevertheless, the parents contend that requiring the Bible Baptist School to seek state approval violates the tenets of their religion and imposes an impermissible and substantial burden on the free exercise thereof. For the sake of argument, we assume that this requirement is a burden upon the free exercise of their religion.